UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — More than 46 million people in the U.S. suffered from substance use disorders and more than 100,000 died by overdose in 2001, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. To address this crisis, recovery community centers (RCCs) have emerged in cities across the U.S. A recent study by Penn State researchers has provided evidence that attending these centers supports different aspects of their members’ wellbeing and recovery from substance use disorder.

A paper summarizing the study’s findings in the Journal of Substance Use & Treatment is available online now and will appear in the journal’s October edition.

Recovery community centers provide a safe place for people in recovery to gather, a venue for recovery support meetings and services, abstinent social events, and services to help members of the recovery community address their housing, legal and medical needs, explained Bo Cleveland, professor of human development and family studies and principal investigator on this study.

This study was the first to use a daily diary method to investigate whether and how RCCs may enhance recovery wellbeing and decrease recovery risk. Across 10 days, the research team collected nightly data from 94 people involved with one of six recovery community centers in Western Pennsylvania. The key findings are that on days participants visited the centers, they reported significantly higher levels of meaningfulness, recovery identity and positive affect.

“[Recovery community centers] create a safe haven where people can go to feel connected with others and feel like they matter. It gives them hope and the commitment to persevere in recovery, even on difficult days.”

– Joseph Lancaster, Penn State graduate student in human development and family studies

Participants across races, ethnicities, ages and genders reported positive outcomes even when they attended infrequently, according to Joseph Lancaster, doctoral candidate in human development and family studies and lead author the paper.

“While all recovery community centers are unique, they provide critical services such as employment assistance and housing assistance — as well as peer support,” Lancaster said, explaining that RCCs serve community members on a drop-in basis and are designed to complement treatment centers and address the need for long-term support. “When you’re in recovery, they’ll do whatever they can to help you rebuild your life.”

Lancaster said his work on the project has changed the way he sees recovery and the importance of the social connections that RCCs offer, even though he noted more research is needed to more broadly represent all demographics.

“The findings suggest that recovery community centers help people not just avoid relapse but to build meaningful lives in which they can thrive and flourish,” he said. “They create a safe haven where people can go to feel connected with others and feel like they matter. It gives them hope and the commitment to persevere in recovery, even on difficult days.”

Other contributors include Timothy Brick, associate professor of human development studies, and graduate students Wen Ren and Hannah Apsley.

The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse supported this work.