Impact of Helping Behaviors on the Course of Substance-Use Disorders in Individuals With Body Dysmorphic Disorder*

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-step facilitated treatments for substance-use disorders (SUDs) encourage individuals with SUD to consider the needs of others and engage in helping behaviors as a method to become sober. SUDs are one of the most common comorbid disorders among individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). The purpose of this study is to examine prospectively the relationship between helping behaviors and the likelihood of SUD and BDD remission. Method: Data on 163 individuals during the course of 3 years were derived from the Prospective Study of Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a longitudinal investigation of patterns and predictors of the course of BDD. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were used to calculate probabilities of time to BDD and SUD remission. Cox regression analyses were conducted to calculate the relative likelihood of levels of helping behaviors as time-varying predictors of remission from both SUD and BDD. Results: The course of SUD and BDD was chronic for most subjects; the estimated probability of remission from an SUD across 3 years was .29 and .17 for a full BDD remission. Results indicated that increases in helping behaviors were significantly predictive of SUD remission (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.59, p = .0134). Helping behaviors were also predictive of BDD remission among those with or without SUD but at a trend level of significance (HR = 1.51, p = .0676). Conclusions: These findings extend previous work reporting significant relationships between helping behaviors and positive long-term SUD outcomes. Implications of the mechanisms involved in the link between helping behaviors and remission from SUD and BDD are discussed. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 68: [291][292][293][294][295] 2007)

Predictors of Initial AA-Related Helping: Findings From Project MATCH

“…Investigations studying predictors of AA involvement and service have not found strong and consistent effects for demographic characteristics, with the possible exceptions of gender, employment, and age (Crape et al, 2002;Pagano et al, 2004Pagano et al, , 2007. There is some evidence to suggest that adults involved in AAH are more likely to be employed (Crape et al, 2002) and older (Pagano et al, 2004).…”

“…22-23). An emerging body of literature points to the helper health benefi ts (Post, 2007) and sobriety benefi ts (Emrick et al, 1993;Pagano et al, 2004Pagano et al, , 2007Zemore and Pagano, 2008).…”

Even the Downhearted may be Uplifted: Moral Elevation in the Daily Life of Clinically Depressed and Anxious Adults

“…In contrast, elevation is thought to trigger prosocial goals and behaviors that contribute to interpersonal and personal well-being (Tangney et al, 2007). Moreover, prosocial or compassionate strivings (of the sort elicited by elevation) predict mutually supportive relationships and decreased depressive and anxiety symptoms over time (Crocker, Canevello, Breines, & Flynn, 2010;Pagano, Phillips, Stout, Menard, & Piliavin, 2007;Schwartz, Bell Meisenhelder, Yungsheng, & Reed, 2003). However, research to date has not yet examined experiences of elevation in clinically distressed samples.…”

How do people recover from alcohol dependence? A systematic review of the research on mechanisms of behavior change in Alcoholics Anonymous

“…As AA states: ''Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity against drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics'' (AA 1939(AA , 2001. Thus, within the dimension of fellowship lie the proposed processes of mutual sharing and helping others (Zemore and Kaskutas 2004;Pagano et al 2007), but alternative interpretations include principles of observational learning (Bandura, 1969) and group theory dynamics (Yalom 1995;Yalom and Leszcz 2005) as well as health-promoting social network changes (Kaskutas et al 2002).…”