College Students and Families Navigate Recovery from Alcohol and Other Drugs

Rural universities provide unique opportunities for public health services. For some college students, the environment may threaten a person’s recovery from a substance use disorder, yet navigating college, relationships, and recovery is manageable through supportive initiatives funded by higher education. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews to gather a family system perspective on the recovery process from alcohol or other drugs. Recruited through a Southern university-sponsored Collegiate Recovery Program, interviews were conducted with 5 individuals in recovery and 14 of their family members. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that families need support in different ways, including building a foundational knowledge of recovery for the family members. Collegiate Recovery Programs can be a mechanism to provide support to both the individual and the family system.