Peer-based recovery support services delivered at recovery community organizations: Predictors of improvements in individual recovery capital

Background: While clinical interventions used to support the recovery process of U.S. adults are well understood, community-based solutions such as peer-based recovery support services delivered by a recovery community organization are not.

Methods: Previously collected administrative data of 3459 participants at 20 recovery community organizations in the U.S. were analyzed using a paired samples t-test to examine intake and current recovery capital differences, and multiple linear regression models to examine the association between peer-based recovery support engagement on changes in recovery capital.

Results: Participants were mostly male (52.1%), non-Hispanic (80.2%), White (75.5%), with an average age of 39.38 years (SD = 12.57). Participants' average engagement was 130.68 days (SD = 166.6) with a total of 4290 engagement sessions (M = 4.75, SD = 4.74) and 8913 brief check-ins (M = 5.0, SD = 5.03) facilitated. Reported health events were 0.09 recurrences of substance use (SD = 0.61) and 0.02 emergency room visits (SD = 0.26) on average. Paired sample t-test results showed a statistically significant increase in recovery capital of 1.33 points (95% CI: 0.97-1.69). Multiple linear regression models for predicting improvements in recovery capital (adjusted r² = 0.61) found number of follow-up engagements and completed recovery plan goals were statistically significant predictors.

Conclusions: Peer-based recovery support services delivered by recovery community organizations assist in significantly improving individual recovery capital, as well as helping to facilitate involvement with an array of recovery support services that may contribute to other functional social determinant domain improvements and lower negative health events.