Recovery and Youth: An Integrative Review

"A lot better than it used to be": A qualitative study of adolescents' dynamic social recovery capital

Background

Substance use recovery is a dynamic process for youth, and social networks are tied to the recovery process. The Recovery Capital for Adolescents Model (RCAM) situates the resources accessible through social networks - social recovery capital (SRC) - in a larger framework of developmentally-informed recovery resources. This study aims to investigate the social network experiences among recovering youth enrolled in a recovery high school to understand how social influences help to build, or act as barriers to building, recovery capital.

Methods

To gain insight into these networks, Social Identity Maps and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten youth ages 17-19 years (80% male; 50% non-Hispanic White). Study visits were conducted virtually, recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using the RCAM as an organizing framework.

Results

Results supported that adolescent social networks play a unique and multifaceted role in the recovery journey. Three key nuances emerged: change permeates adolescent networks throughout the treatment and recovery process; shared substance use history and non-stigmatizing attitudes play a key role in connecting with others; and SRC is interconnected with human, financial, and community recovery capital.

Conclusions

With adolescent recovery receiving increased attention from policy makers, practitioners, and researchers, the RCAM may be a useful way to contextualize available resources. Findings suggest SRC as a crucial, yet complex component intertwined with all other forms of recovery capital.

Post-residential treatment outpatient care preferences: Perspectives of youth with opioid use disorder

INTRODUCTION

We know little about what youth with opioid use disorders (OUD) think about outpatient substance use treatment and 12-step meetings following discharge from residential substance use treatment. This study explores youths' preferences between intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) and community-based 12-step groups.

METHOD

The study recruited youth (n = 35) from a larger randomized trial (N = 288) that examined the effectiveness of extended-release naltrexone versus treatment-as-usual. This study asked the youth to participate in semi-structured qualitative interviews at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months post-residential treatment discharge. Qualitative interviews probed youths' key decision points during the six-months following residential treatment for OUD, including medication and counseling, and 12-step continuation in the community.

RESULTS

Qualitative analyses revealed three overarching themes related to youths' preferences for either IOP or 12-step meetings: structure of recovery support, mechanisms of accountability, and relationships.

CONCLUSION

Despite varying preferences, this analysis highlights the complexity of benefits that youth report receiving from each approach. Research has yet to determine the degree to which these approaches are complementary or supplementary for this population.