Substance use disorders continue to be a widespread threat to the health and well-being of college student communities in the United States.  While dangerous alcohol consumption is the most commonly referenced behavior in this sphere, other forms of substance use are of significant prevalence.  Cannabis consumption also continues to increase in this demographic due to sweeping changes made to accessibility and subsequent legal measures.  Additionally, improper use of prescription drugs and narcotics remains to be an elusive issue varying according to intentions as well as the specific substances used.  Most universities have implemented recovery programs for students in need of substance use mitigation.  This scoping review examines the current literature regarding the state of collegiate recovery programs.    

In designing the methods and data analysis of this scoping review, the research team used techniques formulated according to PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). After conducting a literature and database search for articles concerning collegiate recovery programs, the authors developed inclusion/exclusion criteria concerning each article’s content.  To be used, an article must focus on collegiate recovery programs, produce qualitative or quantitative data, and not be an existing review article, book review, etc.  An initial 417 articles found within the electronic and manual literature search was trimmed down to 54 articles according to the proposed eligibility criteria.  Data extraction and evaluation of each article from final study pool was performed independently by two members of the research team, scoring each article according to characteristics related to article-based demographics, school type, recovery program type, primary outcomes, amongst others.  

Results of the review found several evidence-based practices to be associated with successful collegiate recovery programs and improved outcomes.  These included recovery housing, support groups, drop-in centers, mutual help groups, and continuing care following initial exit of acute interventions.  Collegiate recovery programs were moderately associated with improved academic performance, retention rates, and graduation rates.  Additionally, sobriety-focused support groups were also associated with decreases in general substance cravings.  A small minority of studies focused on combatting stigmatization in the realm of collegiate recovery, noting its under-utilization despite production of favorable outcomes.   

Takeaway: collegiate recovery programs are often understudied, creating a demand in literature regarding the topic. This review asserts that programs which center around peer-based, mutual help initiatives, in addition to accessible drop-in centers, are generally successful in producing positive outcomes.  Programs should also implement measures to combat stigmatization in student populations.

Vest N, Reinstra M, Timko C, Kelly J, Humphreys K. College programming for students in addiction recovery: A PRISMA-guided scoping review. Addictive Behaviors. 2021;121:106992. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106992