Social Identity Mapping as a Tool for Data Collection in Adolescent Recovery: A Mixed Methods Adaptation Study.

BACKGROUND: Social group memberships and group behaviors are pivotal in supporting or inhibiting adolescents' addiction recovery. Yet most research on social processes has relied on traditional surveys that cannot capture the complex nature of evolving social networks. Social Identity Mapping in Addiction Recovery (SIM-AR) asks respondents to create a visual representation, or map, of their social network, social groups, and social influences. The SIM-AR thus provides a novel, interactive, and detailed means to collect social network information, and does so in a way that is accessible and meaningful to participants. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to pilot and adapt the SIM-AR with adolescents and young adults in addiction treatment and recovery programs so it might be used as a standardized tool for data collection. DESIGN: This was a multi-method study that piloted the SIM-AR approach in both paper-pen and online (oSIM-AR) formats, and used this feedback to update the approach. METHODS: Participants (N = 35; Ages 14-19; 71% male) were recruited from addiction treatment and recovery programs to complete a facilitated SIM-AR/oSIM-AR, brief survey, and interview (November 2020-January 2023). We engaged participants in an iterative process so the approach could be modified: 28 completed the paper-pen version and seven completed the online version. Descriptive qualitative analysis was used to examine participant interviews. RESULTS: Adolescents found the SIM-AR process acceptable, "fun," and "helpful." The paper-pen version took ∼30 minutes (M=32.52, SD=11.07) and the online version took <15 minutes (M=13.75, SD=4.31). The paper-pen version generated longer reflection interviews than did the online format (M=25.75, SD=7.46 vs. M=9.46, SD=1.07 min.), suggesting the approaches prompted different degrees of reflection. CONCLUSION: Support was found for the SIM-AR as an interactive, easy-to-use, and time-efficient measurement tool with adolescents. We plan to implement the SIM-AR in recovery programs to examine whether these programs generate network change. REGISTRATION: https://osf.io/8vdcp/?view_only=02544c530b0746dd812a78b9d8c008b3; https://osf.io/4mrp6/?view_only=dca62d77b1dd4e829ea15f3ba1a90611.