Effects of strength of relationship ties in recovery homes: A conundrum

Recovery homes are a widespread source of support for those attempting to maintain abstinence. For those who are able to remain in these settings for at least 6 months, outcomes tend to be favorable; however, many leave prematurely. There is a need to better understand the social integration processes that play a major role in giving recovery home residents access to available recovery-related social capital that is associated with better outcomes. The current study involved Oxford House recovery homes in 3 states and examined the strength of relationship ties among house members. We found that those who associated with peers who have higher recovery scores tend to improve their own recovery scores over time. However, we also found that those with higher recovery scores tended to create "strong" ties with similarly high-scoring alters; likewise lower-scoring individuals preferentially formed strong ties with each other. These findings suggest a conundrum: recovery home residents most in need of relational support from more recovered housemates are the least likely to obtain it. We discuss possible pathways to creating more ties between high and low-recovered residents.