An examination of main and interactive effects of substance abuse recovery housing on multiple indicators of adjustment.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial.
PubMed 17567399 · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.01846.x
What was done
Individuals (n = 150) discharged from residential substance abuse treatment facilities were randomly assigned to either an Oxford House (a democratic, self-run recovery home) or a usual after-care condition. Participants were interviewed every 6 months across a 24-month follow-up period. Hierarchical linear modeling and regressions evaluated trajectory models for substance use, employment, self-regulation, and recent criminal charges across conditions, psychiatric comorbidity, and age interactions.
What was found
At 24-month follow-up, substance abuse rates were 15.6% among residents who lived in an Oxford House for 6 or more months, compared to 45.7% for Oxford House participants staying less than 6 months and 64.8% for participants assigned to usual after-care. Older residents and younger residents remaining in an Oxford House for at least 6 months showed better outcomes in substance use, employment, and self-regulation (exact numerical values for employment, self-regulation, and crime were not provided in the abstract).
Why it matters
Self-governed recovery housing provides a community-based after-care model that appears to support long-term abstinence and psychosocial stabilization when individuals remain housed for at least six months.
Limits
The sample size was modest (n = 150) and drawn exclusively from residential treatment dischargees. The primary positive findings relied on a sub-group analysis based on length of stay (>= 6 months vs. < 6 months) rather than strict intention-to-treat reporting in the abstract. Quantitative data for employment, criminal charges, and self-regulation were omitted from 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.