Recovery Capital Correlates With Less Methamphetamine Use and Crime in the Community

Abstract

Objectives Reentry postcorrectional involvement is a high-risk time for patients with a history of addiction. We investigated whether participation in an addiction medicine clinic with active case management led to improvements in patients' recovery capital and whether there were associated changes in criminal activity and co-occurring methamphetamine or alcohol use. Methods Participants (n = 136) were patients with an opioid or stimulant use disorder who had Department of Corrections involvement in the preceding year, who completed the Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) and reported criminal activity and days of methamphetamine or alcohol use twice over a 6-month study. Three logistic regression models were used to assess changes in total ARC with criminal activity, alcohol use, and methamphetamine use over the previous 30 days. Results Baseline mean (SD) ARC scores were 34.1 (11.1) and increased to a mean (SD) score of 40.3 (9.4) at study end. A 1-SD shift in ARC was significantly protective across outcomes, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.32, 0.18, and 0.34 for any past 30-day criminal activity, alcohol use, or methamphetamine use. There was no significant difference in baseline ARC, crimes committed, days of alcohol use, or days of methamphetamine use for study completers versus noncompleters; however, unmeasured confounders may have had a differential impact on retention. Conclusions Recovery capital provides an additional framework to help address patients' substance use and criminal activity in a multifaceted way, which is especially important in the postincarceration community. Recovery capital is dynamic and has multiple areas to target psychosocial interventions.

Recovery Capital Gains May Precede Craving Reduction in Opioid Use Disorder

“…Higher RC has been previously significantly associated with lower risk substance use (in comparison to high risk) 29 and improved quality of life, 30 along with decreases in illicit substance use 18 and self-reported crimes committed. 19 RC’s effect on cravings may be reflecting changes in incentive salience, 31 helping to drive motivational changes. Higher RC is reflecting an increase in recovery resources and strengths.…”

“…When patients are engaged in treatment, illicit substance use decreases, while RC increases. 18 , 19 Higher RC is also associated with decreased alcohol relapse rates in AUD 20 and greater odds of past 30-day alcohol abstinence in OUD. 21 We were unable to find any previous literature evaluating cravings and RC that utilized a validated RC scale.…”