A Native American-Based Cultural Model of Substance Dependency and Recovery

The purpose of this study was to identify cultural themes associated with alcohol and drug dependency that may reflect fundamental traditional Native American beliefs and values. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 58 clients at three residential treatment facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. Discourse-based content analysis of the interview data reveals several highly shared conceptions regarding significant life event situations surrounding alcohol and drug dependency from the perspective of these Native American respondents. A folk-theoretic, cultural model of the development and successful recovery from substance dependency emerges from an interpretive analysis of the most salient themes evident in these interview data.