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Aim: To understand how the social networks of a new recovery community can help sustain recovery, focusing on processes of social identity change, in the context of the wider UK recovery movement., Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods social network analysis (SNA) of ego-network sociograms to map network transitions, using retrospective measures. Ten men were recruited from a peer-worker programme, in the South Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), West of Scotland. Network measures were compared between two timepoints, just prior to current recovery and the present time. Measures included size and density, closeness of members, and their positive or negative influence, proportion of alcohol and other drug (AOD) using and recovery peers, and extent of separate subgroups. These were complemented with qualitative interview data., Findings: There was a significant transition in network composition, with the replacing of AOD-using peers with recovery peers and a broader transformation from relationships being framed as negative to positive. However, there was no significant transition in network structure, with AOD-using and recovery networks both consisting of strong ties and a similar density of connections between people in the networks., Conclusions: The transition in network composition between pre-recovery and the present indicates a different set of social influences, while the similarities in network structure indicate that the recovery network replaced the role of the using network in providing close bonds. This helped reduce social isolation experienced in early-recovery and provided a pathway into more structured opportunities for volunteering and employment., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

The San Patrignano drug recovery community, Italy, is regarded as one of the most successful in the world. However, if this model is to be transferred to other countries, it is necessary to clarify its underlying mechanisms and how far their success is context dependent. This qualitative study investigated these features of the San Patrignano model. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with six key stakeholders and 10 days' observational field notes. Data were synthesised using frameworks and analysis was informed by realist principles. Individual level mechanisms include: commitment to change, removal from former social environment, communal living, peer mentor with lived experience and meaningful work. These operate in the context of a free of charge, long term (3-4 year) residential community. Organisational level mechanisms are: visionary leadership, staff dedication, social enterprise and adaptable learning. Organisational contextual factors include: a gap in suitable provision for drug recovery and the region's high level of social capital. Articulating the programme theory of the recovery model and its contextual dependency helps clarify which elements should be transferred and how far they need to be adapted for different socio-cultural settings. The recognition of context is crucial when considering transfer of effective complex interventions across countries., Competing Interests: Disclosure statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).