Recovery Housing Program for Drug Addicts: Work Patterns, Substance Abuse, and Housing Situation After a 6-Month Follow-up

Abstract

The use of psychoactive substances is associated with physical and psychological damage, especially among people in situations of high social vulnerability. Housing programs can provide integrated care to people exposed to social determinants of health. This longitudinal study with residents of a recovery house (N=164, maximum stay of 6 mo) investigated substance use, employment, and housing status. The mean length of stay was 144 days (SD=76.8 d), and most residents had been working for at least 4 consecutive months (n=96; 58.5%); 74.4% of the residents received therapeutic discharge and more than half returned to a stable form of residence. Multivariate analysis showed that previous alcohol use was independently associated with working status [odds ratio (OR)=2.29, 95%; confidence interval (CI), 1.00-5.20, P=0.048]. In a multinomial logistic regression model using treatment length as reference, being currently employed (95% CI, 8.74-62.37, P=0.010), and previous history of nonalcohol use (95% CI, 71.59-5.83, P=0.021) were both associated with longer stay in the recovery house. Housing services can provide effective support for substance use recovery, and our findings highlight the need for integrating health and social care strategies.