Study Team
Jennifer Carrano, UD (PI); Ginnie Sawyer-Morris, Barry Bodt, Ronald Gallimore (UDel), Terry Horton (CCHS), Rita Landgraf (UDel), Jean-Philippe Laurenceau (UDel)
What we wanted to learn and why it matters
Many individuals trying to recover from substance use need treatment options that are longer term. Recovery residences (RRs) are residential communities where individuals recovering from substance use disorders (SUDs) co-reside in a drug- and alcohol-free environment. RRs fill an important gap in the continuum of SUD treatment as they offer a long-term, community-based recovery option following formal, often inpatient treatment. However, there is limited research examining the effectiveness of RRs in promoting recovery. This study aims to fill that gap by examining whether, how, and for whom RRs promote recovery from substance use disorders.
What we did and learned
We did a survey each month for 10 months with patients in RRs. We asked them about their current support, financial well-being, perceived stress and experience with stigma as well as what treatment options or support groups they might be using, and if they had relapsed. Analysis is still ongoing, but we learned that women and men experience recovery differently. For example, women experience more feelings of financial strain than men, and are also more prone to depression both when entering a home and also during the time they are there. Similarly, the resources that were found to most help individuals successful recover included social support and financial support.
To read more about this study