Psychological Sense of Community in Recovery Processes of Emerging and Older Adults: Ideological Antecedents and Implications for Public Health

Abstract

Across the world, governments are struggling to help people recover from substance use problems. Due to their particular risk factors, two age groups are of special interest to public health: emerging adults and older adults. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) is a key dimension in their recovery. Yet, to develop context-sensitive and effective strategies tailored for these groups, there is a need to understand their discourses of PSOC as situated within their context. This study offers a multi-level and comparative analysis of discourses of PSOC for 21 emerging adults and 23 older adults recovering within the same context. Using a discourse analytic tool and a comparative approach ideological impacts on the two groups' discourses of PSOC were identified. Both groups' discourses suggest that achieving and maintaining PSOC in recovery is challenging within a developing neo-liberal context. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate differences between the two groups' with respect to (a) the particular impact of ideologies, (b) sources for PSOC in recovery and (c) challenges in community participation. The article builds on the findings to suggest strategies targeting the two groups. Please refer to the Supporting Information section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.