title: Batter up! Relapse prevention for homeless veteran substance abusers via softball team participation.
abstract: Thirty-four veterans of a residential rehabilitation program for homelessness and substance abuse participated on a community-based softball team. Compared to nonparticipants, participants stayed in treatment longer and were more likely to complete all aspects of the program (inpatient and outpatient). They also were more likely to be abstinent from drugs/alcohol, employed, and housed 3 months postdischarge. Participation appeared to enhance outcomes by providing in vivo opportunities for practicing coping skills and developing supportive relationships. A softball program may be a viable adjunct treatment in which formally taught cognitive-behavioral skills can be applied in a natural, but semistructured setting.
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, CA 94304.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Burling
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Seidner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robbins-Sisco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krinsky
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hanser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001484:Baseball; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*