College programming for students in addiction recovery: A PRISMA-guided scoping review

The health and well-being of students in recovery from substance use disorder are increasingly being recognized as a priority on college campuses. This scoping review maps the state of the existing literature evaluating collegiate recovery programming to highlight research gaps and inform policy.

We conducted a systematic search of articles related to collegiate recovery programming published before August 2020. The 15 extracted study characteristics included publication type, study design, primary outcomes, reporting of behavioral addictions, mutual-help group attendance, sample demographic information, school size, ownership, and funding source.

The PRISMA-guided search strategy identified 357 articles for abstract review; of 113 articles retained for full-text review, 54 studies met criteria for inclusion. Primary outcomes were coded into four domains: clinical, recovery experience, program characterization, and stigma. Most (57%) used quantitative observational designs and 41% employed qualitative research designs. Government or foundation grants funded 11% of the studies.

The domains identified offer a framework for healthcare providers, college administrators, and researchers to understand and improve programs, thereby better serving this vulnerable student group.