Pathways to Recovery and Desistance: The Role of the Social Contagion of Hope

Mapping, assessing and promoting multiple psychological senses of community (MPSOC) through clinical pathways for treating substance use problems

“…Different types of communities are important for preventing and recovering from substance use problems, including therapeutic communities (Oxford House Recovery Housing), geographical communities (neighbourhood), and relational communities (schools and sober environments) ( Battistich & Hom, 1997 ; Ferrari et al, 2002 ; Lardier Jr et al, 2017 ; Mayberry et al, 2009 ; Stevens et al, 2010 ; Stevens et al, 2012 ). The interconnection between PSOC and recovery is obvious in definitions of recovery from substance use problems as a process for achieving a better life, including community engagement and citizenship ( Best, 2019 ; Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel, 2007 ). People’s summaries of recovery-facilitating resources or recovery capital (social capital, physical capital, and human and cultural capital) further illustrate the link between people’s PSOC and their potential for recovery.…”

“…Important goals in the addiction field include promoting recovery processes and recovery capital through interventions that include the family and other communities, as well as community reinforcement (e.g., peer support or meaningful activities with community members) ( Beckwith et al, 2019 ; Best, 2019 ; Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel, 2007 ; Kalsas et al, 2020 ; McKay, 2017 ; White & Evans, 2013 ). These interventions often rely on assessments or mapping using tools based on a unifying theoretical framework ( Beckwith et al, 2019 ).…”

“…For example, the group could discuss the possibility of involving individuals from the patient’s recovery-facilitating communities (e.g., family members, friends, or neighbours). These communities are likely to be important for promoting social competence, social support, feelings of safety and stability, and social recovery capital, thereby increasing and strengthening a “recovery identity” ( Bahl et al, 2019 ; Beckwith et al, 2019 ; Best, 2019 ; White & Evans, 2013 ). Importantly, the assessment of whether a community is positive or not for recovery should be unanimous between the professionals and the patient.…”

The growth of recovery capital in clients of recovery residences in Florida, USA: a quantitative pilot study of changes in REC-CAP profile scores

“…This prominence derives from a growing evidence base of peer-supported recovery initiatives, including recovery residences [ 3 ] and the emerging evidence around recovery community organisations [ 4 ]. This development can be described as a transition from a deficit to a strengths-based model predicated on the idea that recovery is a process that takes time (according to the Betty Ford Consensus Panel [ 5 ] the typical duration is around five years, with significantly reduced relapse risk beyond this point), and happens between people and within communities [ 6 ]. Braithwaite [ 7 ] has argued that the transitions seen in restorative justice, therapeutic jurisprudence, positive criminology and both mental health and addiction recovery are parts of a paradigmatic transition to a community-focused model of non-domination that is predicated on social and structural solutions that are empowering and inclusive.…”

“…Recovery, as a social movement for change [1], has gained increased prominence following a re-evaluation of the meaning of recovery and further questioning of the methods used to measure recovery progress, based, as recovery residences exemplify, on the centrality of peer processes [2]. This prominence derives from a growing evidence base of peer-supported recovery initiatives, including recovery residences [3] and the emerging evidence around recovery community organisations [4].…”