Recovery capital and substance(s) of choice among adolescents: Exploratory analyses

Recovery capital is the availability of resources to support recovery. Prior research suggests a relationship between substances of choice (SOC) and recovery capital. This study explored the relationship between SOC and recovery capital among adolescents attending a recovery high school.

A secondary data analysis of data from the SEARS project was conducted. Participants (N = 624, age_mean = 16.36) completed a modified Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) and responded to the question: "What is your drug of choice? (Please select all that apply)". Substances were grouped into type of SOC (alcohol, cannabis, opioids, stimulants, or other) and number of SOC (one, two, three or more, or "whatever is available").

A Kruskal-Wallis test to compare recovery capital across number of SOC groups indicated a significant difference, χ2(df = 3, N = 624) = 8.17, p = .043. Post hoc comparisons using Dunn's test identified that participants who selected "whatever is available" reported lower recovery capital than participants who preferred one SOC, p _adjusted  = 0.022. There were no significant differences in recovery capital across type of SOC.

The current study identified a relationship between number of SOC and recovery capital, suggesting those who prefer "whatever is available" may benefit from additional support. More work is needed to assess the utility and implications of SOC among adolescents in recovery. Researchers who ask participants about SOC may consider allowing participants to select multiple substances and including an option for "whatever is available" to better capture use preferences.