Emerging consensus on measuring addiction recovery: Findings from a multi-stakeholder consultation exercise

Conditions for recovery from alcohol and drug abuse – comparisons between male and female clients of different social position

“…For example, the transcendence of gender has different meanings for the groups in this study. This confirms previous research indicating that recovery also includes self-change and process of own growth (Laudet 2007) and different aspects of quality of life such as social support and emotional stability (Hibbert and Best 2011;Neale et al 2016). Further, we suggest that norms, such as gender stereotypes, supposedly can serve both as a support or a hinder in a change process.…”

“…In extension of this approach it is argued that the treating professional should act to support clients' individual conditions for recovery (Davidson and White 2007;. Thus, recovery capital is a wide concept and its practical meaning needs to be further explored (Neale et al 2016).…”

“…Thus, since the study is based on a material (90 client interviews) that is more comprehensive than usually is the case for qualitative analyses it was assumed that a re-analysis was possible where the interviewed clients were compared not only by gender but also by social position. The clients' social position was assumed to reflect possession of different levels of so called recovery capital Granfield 2004, 2008) which is a concept that is vastly used in research on recovery from addiction problems (Groshkova, Best, and White 2013;Neale et al 2016). Recovery capital has been described as one of the key ideas at the core of the paradigmatic shift from a pathology and intervention focus to a recovery focus on modern treatment of alcohol and other drug problems (White and Cloud 2008).…”

Rethinking recovery

“…'Recovery' is described frequently as a complex and contested concept [6] which eschews definition [3]. Despite the contentious debate, there has been increasing agreement that 'recovery' means more than abstinence or reduction in substance use, and should encompass improvements in other areas of clients' lives, including housing, relationships, employment, participation and wellbeing [6,7].However, as the work of Neale and colleagues [7][8][9] has shown, conceptualizing, defining and measuring the broad set of outcomes that might constitute 'recovery' is not without its challenges. Recognizing that clinicians and clients may differ in their understandings of 'recovery' and in their assessment of the relative importance of specific outcomes would appear to be essential.…”

“…However, as the work of Neale and colleagues [7][8][9] has shown, conceptualizing, defining and measuring the broad set of outcomes that might constitute 'recovery' is not without its challenges. Recognizing that clinicians and clients may differ in their understandings of 'recovery' and in their assessment of the relative importance of specific outcomes would appear to be essential.…”