Reasons for Leaving Sober Living Houses and Their Associations with Substance Use, Psychiatric, and Housing Outcomes

Sober living houses (SLHs) offer abstinence-based housing for individuals with alcohol or drug problems. Research shows residents of SLHs make improvements on measures of substance use and other problems. Length of stay (LOS) in the house is associated with outcomes. However, little is known about the reasons residents leave houses or how reasons are associated with outcomes.

Baseline interviews were conducted with individuals entering 48 SLHs in Los Angeles. Residents who left within 12 months completed a 12-month follow-up interview (N = 352) assessing reasons they left, abstinence, psychiatric symptoms, and housing status. Multilevel regression models assessed relationships between reasons and outcomes.

The most commonly cited reason for leaving was wanting to live on one's own or in a shared living situation with family or friends (45.7%), which was associated with increased odds of abstinence and fewer psychiatric symptoms. Leaving due to not liking something about the house (e.g., rules or living conditions) was the second most commonly cited reason for leaving (28.1%), but was not associated with any outcomes. Wanting to live on one's own and did not get along with residents or the house manager were associated with favorable housing (i.e., stable housing or a different SLH).

Residents who leave SLHs to live more independently in the community may be better prepared than residents who leave for other reasons. Some residents may benefit from seeking stable housing in the community or in another SLH if they are not a good match for their current house.