Title: "Social networks of opioid users: A mixed methods study of social support and peer influence in initiation, escalation, treatment, and recovery"
This project is a joint collaboration between Ashton Verdery, Katherine McLean (Penn State U.), Shannon Monnat (Syracuse U.), Khary Rigg (U. South Florida), and Glenn Sterner (Penn State U.).
Abstract: We present results from a unique mixed-methods study of persons who use opioids in Western Pennsylvania that we collected in 2017 and 2018. This study measured retrospective, contemporaneous, and prospective ego-network data on four domains of social support and interaction (romantic, friendship, advice, and interactions) as well as detailed life and drug use history from each participant. In total, we draw on data from 30 in-depth qualitative interviews and 125 quantitative surveys (including both retrospective and contemporaneous ego-network measurement) from survey participants and additional prospective, longitudinal follow-up in-depth interviews (n=10) and surveys (n=30, including network measurement) with a subset of the first wave respondents. In addition to information about the role of social networks in respondents’ lives and drug use, data collection focused on demographic and socioeconomic indicators, criminal history, interactions with the justice system, sharing and selling of drugs among peers, drug and alcohol use, perceived and experienced health, and occupation and employment. We are in the middle stages of planning an R01submission to expand on and improve these pilot data collection efforts, and will ask for some feedback on general design issues for that project.
**CANAC is an ongoing workshop on Changing American Neighborhoods and Communities sponsored by the Population Research Institute at Penn State.