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Happiness with Recovery from Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders Predicts Abstinence and Treatment Retention
Amy R Krentzman1, Elizabeth A Bowen2, Sarah E Zemore3
1School of Social Work, University of Minnesota, Peters Hall, 1404 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108 USA.
The Journal of Positive Psychology
|September 8, 2025
Summary
Overall happiness with recovery is a strong predictor of successful substance use disorder treatment outcomes, including abstinence and retention. This simple measure can guide interventions and recovery definitions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Understanding the link between wellbeing and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment outcomes is crucial for improving recovery.
- Existing measures may not fully capture the subjective experience of recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between various wellbeing indicators and SUD treatment outcomes.
- To identify simple, effective measures of wellbeing for individuals in SUD treatment.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 81 individuals undergoing SUD treatment.
- Assessed multiple wellbeing indicators (e.g., positive affect, life satisfaction, happiness with recovery).
- Measured treatment outcomes: abstinence and retention, using logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Only 'happiness with recovery' was significantly associated with both abstinence (OR=1.8) and retention (OR=1.5).
- This single-item measure proved a robust predictor after adjusting for covariates.
- Other wellbeing indicators did not show significant associations.
Conclusions:
- 'Happiness with recovery' is a promising, simple indicator of wellbeing in SUD treatment.
- This construct can inform recovery definitions, measurement, and intervention development.
- Focusing on subjective happiness may enhance treatment success.
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