Can Measurement of Recovery Be Supportive of Recovery?

Abstract

Recently, the field has shifted to define addiction recovery not by abstinence but by improvement in well-being. However, there is little research on the impact of measuring well-being. This poster presents a thematic analysis of control-group interviews derived from a randomized controlled trial of Positive Peer Journaling (PPJ), an intervention designed to increase well-being and reduce relapse in early recovery. The control group (n = 39, 52% female, average 39 years old, 63% with income <$15,000, 26% BIPOC, 43% with a legal issue, and 95% with history of trauma) completed daily questionnaires over 1 month. These questionnaires included the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Commitment to Sobriety Scale, as well as single-item questions, such as: “In the last 24 hours I did something to help another person in recovery.” Qualitative thematic analyses showed that the survey alone created improvement in cognition, affect, and behavior; for example, the questionnaires encouraged participants to reflect on the past 24 hours, experience a deeper sense of gratitude, and reach out to others in recovery. The discovery that survey questions might support well-being during recovery is of critical importance. If recovery-oriented survey questions foster improvement in cognition, affect and behavior, they can be leveraged as an easily scalable intervention that can support recovery efforts.