Returning from Rehab: What Are The Challenges of Re-Integration?

Residential ‘in-patient’ treatment for substance abuse – more commonly known as ‘rehab’ - is the favoured option among those wanting to recover from addiction.

The rate of relapse within the first year following being discharged, however, ranges from 37% - 56%.

New research published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment uncovers some of the factors that both help and hinder the transition from rehab to re-integration into wider society.

The research team looked at five transition barriers/facilitator categories:

• Individual
• Interpersonal
• Organisational
• Community
• Policy

The study found factors that hindered successful transition included:

• Unmet basic needs, for example, financial instability or lack of a permanent place of residence.
• Limited support networks and/or problematic interpersonal relationships.
• Staff shortages in residential treatment programmes.

This highlights, the lead researcher on the project claims, a need to improve access to housing and employment, support networks, as well as to provide adequate aftercare provisions.

Click here to read the full article in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.