BACKGROUND: Substance use recovery is a dynamic process for youth, and social networks are tied to the recovery process. The(RCAM) situates the resources accessible through social networks - social recovery capital (SRC) - in a larger framework of developmentally-informed recovery resources. This study aims to investigate the social network experiences among recovering youth enrolled in a recovery high school to understand how social influences help to build, or act as barriers to building, recovery capital. Recovery Capital for Adolescents Model
METHODS: To gain insight into these networks, Social Identity Maps and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten youth ages 17-19 years (80% male; 50% non-Hispanic White). Study visits were conducted virtually, recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using the RCAM as an organizing framework.
RESULTS: Results supported that adolescent social networks play a unique and multifaceted role in the recovery journey. Three key nuances emerged: change permeates adolescent networks throughout the treatment and recovery process; shared substance use history and non-stigmatizing attitudes play a key role in connecting with others; and SRC is interconnected with human, financial, and community recovery capital.
CONCLUSIONS: With adolescent recovery receiving increased attention from policy makers, practitioners, and researchers, themay be a useful way to contextualize available resources. Findings suggest SRC as a crucial, yet complex component intertwined with all other forms of recovery capital. RCAM
