Date of Award
1-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School
College for Community Health
Department/Program
Counseling
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Dana H. Levitt
Committee Member
Pablo Tinio
Committee Member
Leslie Kooyman
Abstract
Substance use disorder is a significant issue facing society today. As the rate of individuals with substance use disorders continues to rise, so too does the need of the counseling profession to explore further the ways to best support this population. The purpose of this study was to explore two specific variables for their impact on motivation to change for individuals in early recovery: social connectedness and adverse childhood experiences. Grounded in the Process-Person-Context-Time model, this study focused on the ways in which an individual’s motivation to change in early sobriety relates to their sense of connectedness to their family and friends as well as their experiences in childhood. This study also explored how other demographic factors, such as race, gender, and age may predict an individual’s readiness for change. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that social connectedness is a significant predictor of motivation to change for those in early recovery. Although adverse childhood experiences were not found to be significant predictors, the results of this study indicated that there is more to explore surrounding adverse childhood experiences as it relates to gender in particular. The findings of this study additionally found the significant impact of race and gender on readiness to change in early recovery. This dissertation includes an overview of the study, a review of the literature, a description of the methodology employed, and a review of the results. The final chapter is a discussion of the findings and how it relates to ways to support individuals with substance use disorder as well as ways to enhance counseling, counselor educator, and public policy interventions.
File Format
Recommended Citation
Daniel, Adam M., "The Influence of Social Connectedness and Adverse Childhood Experiences: Understanding Motivation to Change in Early Substance Use Disorder Recovery" (2026). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1616.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1616