Context: The consumption of alcohol and drugs constitutes a worldwide problem. Exclusion and lack of specific policies for those who suffer with drug and alcohol dependency has marked Brazilian public health policy and demonstrated the need for change in the service models in order to contemplate the real needs of those with alcohol and drug abuse disorders. The challenge of formulating a specific prevention, treatment and rehabilitation policy within a framework that considers individuality and allows social reinsertion of individuals has been the subject of numerous studies in this area. Objectives: To identify the use and understanding of the concept of psychosocial rehabilitation associated with the problems of alcohol and drug abuse. Methods: Literature review in the MEDLINE database between 1997 and 2007 on psychosocial rehabilitation, specifically in the cases of alcohol and drug use disorders. Results: Ten articles were selected based on their pertinence to the subject. Conclusions: We found the term “social support” which refers to the importance of a social network to help the patient recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, just as the psychosocial rehabilitation – which determines the importance of the individual’s social network – is one of its bases.