Leaps, jumps, and hoops: from evaluating cardiac rehabilitation interventions to identifying causal factors underlying substance dependency

Intervention research and research with substance abuse populations are challenging. This case details the experiences of two doctoral-level researchers as they tried to improve outcomes for coronary heart disease patients and uncover risk factors for substance abuse. Both studies relied on quantitative methods for data collection, although one was cross-sectional and one longitudinal. Both took place in applied settings and resulted in findings which could inform services.