Impact of Relationship Quality and Recovery Attitudes on Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Among Young Adults

Extended-release medications for opioid use disorder (XR-MOUD) with young adults have shown promise to increase treatment adherence, though dropout remains high. Recovery capital factors like relationship quality and recovery attitudes may influence treatment outcomes in young adults with OUD. This study examined the relationship between initial opioid use, recovery capital, and treatment outcomes among 52 young adults (11.5% female) receiving MOUD in a novel treatment program. Recovery capital factors were self-reported pre- and post-treatment, and treatment outcomes (opioid use days and MOUD dosages) were assessed via self-report and urinary screens. Recovery attitudes buffered the association between baseline opioid use and days used during the study and were found to change non-uniformly longitudinally. Moreover, more frequent negative relationship events buffered the association between initial opioid use severity and days used. This study adds novel information to the literature regarding recovery attitudes and factors involved in young adult opioid use treatment.