Communal housing settings enhance substance abuse recovery.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 17008561 · doi:10.2105/AJPH.2005.070839
What was done
In a randomized controlled trial, 150 individuals in Illinois were randomly assigned to either an Oxford House (a democratic, mutual-help recovery home operated independently by residents without professional staff) or a usual-care condition (outpatient treatment or self-help groups) after discharge from substance abuse treatment. Outcomes were evaluated at a 24-month follow-up.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or exact p-values. It reports that at the 24-month follow-up, participants in the Oxford House condition compared with the usual-care condition had significantly lower substance use, significantly higher monthly income, and significantly lower incarceration rates.
Why it matters
This study provides experimental evidence that peer-run, mutual-help communal housing can improve long-term recovery, socioeconomic, and legal outcomes relative to standard aftercare following substance abuse treatment.
Limits
The abstract reports no raw numbers, percentages, confidence intervals, or exact statistics. The sample size is modest (n = 150) and conducted in a single geographic region (Illinois). Compliance rates, blinding, attrition at 24 months, and specific substance types were not described in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Oxford House communal recovery residences, which are democratically self-run and require abstinence from drugs and alcohol, have strong scientific evidence demonstrating benefit for maintaining recovery from substance use disorders.