Understanding Recovery Capital and Transitions Out of Recovery Homes: Socio-Demographic Factors and Reported Reasons for Departure.

BACKGROUND: Recovery housing (RH) is crucial for sustaining long-term recovery and can aid in developing recovery capital. However, there is a lack of integrated research on socio-demographic variation in recovery capital among RH residents and reasons for RH departures across perspectives. This study examined socio-demographic predictors of recovery capital among RH residents and explored reasons for departure from resident and staff perspectives. METHODS: This study analyzed programmatic data from a national RH rental stipend program. Intake application data (n = 2021) included the Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) were analyzed using multiple regression. The Consensual Qualitative Research Modified (CQR-M) method analyzed open-ended survey data (n = 822) about residents' departure from 30- and 60-day resident and staff engagement surveys. RESULTS: Quantitative analyses revealed that socio-demographic characteristics were largely unrelated to recovery capital among residents entering RH at intake. Qualitative analyses revealed that residents leave RHs for a range of reasons that include both recovery-related factors (e.g., relapse or program completion) and structural or environmental factors (e.g., housing conditions, interpersonal conflict, and financial barriers). CONCLUSION: Together, these findings highlight the complexity of recovery trajectories and underscore the importance of both individual recovery processes and environmental conditions within RH settings to support sustained recovery.