121 Patients’ and volunteers’ experiences with a social network intervention 4 positive experiences of participants were found with regard to new social experiences, such as the development of social bonds and social support. In addition, we found that four commonly defined types of social support – informational, emotional, instrumental and companionship support – were recognized by patients and coaches during the informal social network intervention (Langford et al., 1997). These types have been identified and distinguished in previous work on volunteer mentoring and social support in offender populations (Kjellstrand, Clark, Caffery, Smith, & Eddy, 2022; Kjellstrand, Matulis, Jackson, Smith, & Eddy, 2021). In previous literature, researchers developed a model demonstrating how an intervention that leads to positive social support and commitment, resulting in positive cognitions, could influence the impact of risk factors (i.e., negative influences by peers, lack of social support) on criminal recidivism as well as substance use (Pettus-Davis et al., 2011). Our qualitative results showed that new supportive social bonds led to experiences of positive feelings and different perspectives on behaviors in patients. In line with the model, these qualitative results could offer an explanation (i.e., working mechanism) for the preliminary quantitative results of the RCT showing positive effects of the informal social network intervention, compared to TAU, on relevant treatment outcomes and criminal behavior in forensic outpatients (Swinkels et al., 2023c). However, it should be noted that the qualitative results (i.e., social bonds and support leading to positive feelings and different perspectives) cannot not be extrapolated to all patients. It is also not clear from the results whether all or certain types of support (i.e., informational, emotional, instrumental, and companionship) could promote positive outcomes. Additionally, this study highlights a discrepancy between (1) the abovementioned feasibility and value of a supportive bond between patients and coaches, and (2) the unwillingness and inability to work toward social network-related goals and to substantially change patients’ social situations with the informal social network intervention. Researchers in the field of rehabilitation emphasized that patient populations with severe and persistent disabilities preventing them from social participation first need time to develop the necessary support and skills to be able to set and work toward rehabilitation goals (Korevaar, Dröes, & van Wel, 2010). Therefore, the development and maintenance of a supportive bond with the coach should be considered a meaningful achievement – social network enhancer – in itself, as well as a precondition for achieving change. Furthermore, it should be recognized that we have included a vulnerable patient population dealing with multiple problems, in which major changes should not be expected within a 1-year time frame. Moreover, given the lack of contact and discontinuity of the contact between dyads, it is more realistic to expect subtle changes in social situations as mentioned in
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