Aims-To assess the effectiveness of community-based supports in promoting abstinence from substance use and related problems.Design and participants-Individuals (n = 150) discharged from residential substance abuse treatment facilities were assigned randomly to either an Oxford House recovery home or usual aftercare condition and then interviewed every 6 months for a 24-month period. Intervention-OxfordHouses are democratic, self-run recovery homes.Measurements-Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the effect of predictive variables on wave trajectories of substance use, employment, self-regulation and recent criminal charges. Regressions first examined whether predictor variables modeled wave trajectories by condition (Oxford House versus usual after-care), psychiatric comorbidity, age and interactions.Findings-At the 24-month follow-up, there was less substance abuse for residents living in Oxford Houses for 6 or more months (15.6%), compared both to participants with less than 6 months (45.7%) or to participants assigned to the usual after-care condition (64.8%). Results also indicated that older residents and younger members living in a house for 6 or more months experienced better outcomes in terms of substance use, employment and self-regulation. Conclusions-OxfordHouses, a type of self-governed recovery setting, appear to stabilize many individuals who have substance abuse histories.

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A longitudinal analysis of self-efficacy for education and sociodemographic characteristics was conducted among an ethnically diverse sample of first-generation college students (FGS) attending an urban community college. Baseline rates of self-efficacy for education and first-generation immigrant status significantly predicted increased cumulative grade point average at 1-year follow-up. These findings suggest that self-efficacy for education is an important cognitive resource among ethnically diverse FGS attending community colleges, whose immigrant generation status might have an impact on their educational success.

A longitudinal analysis was conducted among a U.S. national sample of persons affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous living in self-run recovery homes (Oxford Houses). Categorical involvement in a set of 12-step activities (i.e., having a sponsor, reading 12-step literature, doing service work, and calling other members for help) and averaged summary scores of involvement were examined in relation to abstinence and self-efficacy for abstinence. Participants who were categorically involved in all 12-step activities reported significantly higher levels of abstinence and self-efficacy for abstinence at 1 year compared with those who were less involved, whereas averaged summary scores of involvement were not a significant predictor of abstinence. Participants' number of days in Oxford Houses, but not rates of 12-step meeting attendance, was significantly related to increased abstinence. Findings suggest that categorical involvement in a number of 12-step activities equip persons with substance use disorders with resources for ongoing recovery.

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