Assessing recovery capital: Changes to internal and external resources during residential treatment

Early recovery from drug addiction is synonymous with strides in growth and self-awareness. One construct, recovery capital, attempts to identify changes by assessing strengths and resources available to initiate and sustain abstinence. This research sought to investigate how recovery capital changes over the course of a residential treatment. The researchers anticipate that due to the biopsychosocial nature of treatment an increase in capital will occur. Our sample consisted of residents (n = 38) at an adult men’s treatment center for alcohol and drug addiction. This study utilized a repeated measures design wherein the Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) was administered at two different points of a participant’s treatment. The results suggest there was a statistically significant difference between the two assessments [t (25) = 7.10, p < .001, d = 1.39]. This study concluded a residential treatment stay benefits building and maintaining recovery capital. Further research is required to investigate how recovery capital changes post-treatment and how best it can be used to support individuals through the early stages of recovery. Utilizing a control group would strengthen the claim about the influence of residential treatment upon the development on recovery capital.