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The role of negative affect in precipitating drug craving and relapse among young adults in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) is well documented. However, most studies focus on negative affect as a trait-level congregate of multiple negative emotion states. The present study examined the associations between specific facets of negative affect, college stressors, and craving among young adult college students in SUD recovery. Data were drawn from a three-week daily diary study of 50 students participating in a collegiate recovery community at a U.S. university (Mage = 21.42, 76% males). At the within-person level, craving was higher on days when young adults experienced higher than usual anger, fear, and sadness, but not guilt. At the between-person level, individuals higher in agitation reported greater levels of craving on average. Moderation analyses further showed that college stressors heightened the within-person association between anger and craving. Findings demonstrate that negative affect is not monolithic and that its different aspects are uniquely associated with craving at both between- and within-person levels. Findings from this study could guide collegiate SUD recovery programs that wish to provide greater support to their members by helping them identify both individual- and time-specific relapse risks, such as generally high levels of agitation or days when anger, fear, or sadness are higher than usual for a particular individual. Our findings also suggest that future research should consider distinct features and implications of affective structures at between- and within-person levels, and how these may be uniquely associated with craving.

Collegiate Recovery Communities (CRCs) are important sources of support for college students building and maintaining recovery from substance use disorders. The current study used daily diary data from members of a CRC to examine with which sources of social support students engaged daily, and whether students connected with these sources more on days when they indicated higher-than-usual recovery difficulty, negative affect, and/or school stress. Results indicate that on days when students reported having greater difficulty with recovery maintenance than usual, they had higher odds of being in contact with family members and were expected to talk or spend time with family for longer than usual. Students also had higher odds of having recovery-focused conversations with both 12-step sponsors and CRC peers on days of greater-than-usual recovery maintenance difficulty. Recovery maintenance difficulty was uniquely associated with longer duration of family contact, above and beyond negative affect and school stress. Thus, the occurrence, amount, and nature of CRC members' interactions with important social network members varied in relation to perceived recovery challenges that same day. Findings highlight the importance of providing college students with multiple sources of support that they can use to maintain their recoveries despite daily challenges.

Addiction is a chronic brain disease affecting millions of people. A particularly vulnerable group is emerging adults (age 18–25 years). As more emerging adults are seeking help and entering a recovery process, relevant studies on their experiences in recovery increases. Although the definition of abstinence-based recovery is debated, the factors of hope and coping are important related to this dialogue. This phenomenology explores the experience of emerging adults in recovery who are members of a collegiate recovery program. Through interviews, eight participants described their recovery experience with a focus on hope and coping. Categories and themes related to participants’ experience of recovery in relation to hope and coping are reported. Implications for the field and our understanding of emerging adults in recovery are presented, as well as future research ideas exploring this population.

Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs), a campus-based peer support model for students recovering from substance abuse problems, grew exponentially in the past decade, yet remain unexplored.This mixed-methods study examines students' reasons for CRP enrollment to guide academic institutions and referral sources. Students (N = 486) from the 29 CRPs nationwide operating in 2012 completed an online survey in 2013.Students were somewhat older than traditional age (mean age = 26). Now sober for 3 years (mean), they had experienced severe dependence on multiple substances. One third reported they would not be in college were it not for a CRP, and 20% would not be at their current institution. Top reasons for joining a CRP were the need for same-age peer recovery support and wanting to "do college sober," recognizing that college life challenges sobriety.CRPs appear to meet their mission of allowing recovering students to pursue educational goals in "an abstinence hostile environment." Findings emphasize the need for more institutions to address the support needs of students in recovery.

Unhealthy family dynamics often develop in families where addiction is present and negatively impact individual and family health. Family members becoming ready to make personal changes might positively impact family functioning and improve family support. More research is needed to examine this relationship in family recovery. Using structural equation modeling, family member readiness to change and family functioning over time were examined. Readiness and family functioning were positively and reciprocally associated with each other across 2 assessment points. Gender was associated with initial readiness to change and family functioning. Individual readiness to change may enhance family functioning and promote recovery-oriented changes for each family member.

Addiction adversely affects families, making family recovery important. Family members appear to benefit from hope, healthy coping skills, and a readiness to change. Family recovery research is limited and relationships between these variables are underexplored. Using structural equation modeling, preparation for change at initial assessment before a family treatment program predicted higher hope and coping skills after participation. Initial levels of hope predicted coping skills posttreatment. Gender, treatment track of the addict, and family members’ relation to the addict showed significant effects. The importance of family members’ hope, coping, and readiness to change in family recovery are discussed.

Background: Sustained recovery from substance abuse is a dynamic intraindividual-level process. Objectives: We argue that research on recovery process will benefit from a theoretical approach that captures both the dynamic and the idiographic nature of substance abuse recovery. In addition to setting out why we believe that research on recovery can benefit from such an approach, we provide a demonstration of idiographic within-individual analyses of between- and within-day associations among negative affect, substance use craving, and positive social experiences. Design and Subjects: The data used were drawn from 39 abstinent young adults in 12-step recovery from substance abuse (mean age = 22.9, females = 12). Participants provided an average of 26.7 days of daily diary data by end-of-day collections. Unified first-order structural equation models were fit individually to predict daily levels of craving and negative affect from the previous day’s same two variables as well as from both the previous day’s and the same day’s positive social experiences. Results: Model estimates demonstrated substantial interindividual heterogeneity in their day-to-day associations in both direction and magnitude, highlighting the importance of applying idiographic approach to understanding recovery. Cluster analyses were subsequently applied to individual model estimates to identify homogeneous subgroups that demonstrated similar day-to-day association patterns, revealing two distinct subgroups that appeared to manage daily abstinence through different mechanisms. Conclusions: The idiographic approach presented provides the potential value of framing recovery as an idiosyncratic dynamic process and provides targets for tailored and adaptive treatment and recovery supporting intervention in future design and evaluation.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects between 4%–18% of reproductive-aged women and is associated with increased risk of obesity and obesity-related disease. PCOS is associated with hyperinsulinemia, which is known to impair fat oxidation. Research shows that carbohydrates from dairy and starch-based foods cause greater postprandial insulin secretion than carbohydrates from nonstarchy vegetables and fruits. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an ad libitum 8-week low-starch/low-dairy diet would improve fasting and postprandial fat oxidation after a high saturated fat liquid meal (HSFLM) in overweight and obese women with PCOS. Prospective 8-week dietary intervention using a low-starch/low-dairy diet in 10 women (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 and ≤45 kg/m2) with PCOS. Indirect calorimetry was used at fasting and for 5 h following consumption of the HSFLM to determine respiratory exchange ratio (RER), macronutrient oxidation, and energy expenditure (EE) at week 0 and week 8. Participants had a reduction in body weight (–8.1 ± 1.8 kg, p < 0.05) and fasting insulin (–19.5 ± 8.9 μg/mL, p < 0.05) after dietary intervention; however, these were not significantly correlated with improved fat oxidation. There was a reduction in fasting RER, and fasting and postprandial carbohydrate oxidation, and an increase in fasting and postprandial fat oxidation after adjusting for body weight. There was also significant difference in incremental area under the curve from pre- to post-diet for fat (0.06 ± 0.00 g/kg per 5 h; p < 0.001) and carbohydrate oxidation (–0.29 ± 0.06 g/kg per 5 h; p < 0.001), but not for RER or EE. In conclusion, an 8-week low-starch/low-dairy diet increased fat oxidation in overweight and obese women with PCOS.

Affiliating with 12-step groups appears to reduce relapse risk. By relying on between-person designs, extant research has been unable to examine daily mechanisms through which 12-step group affiliation contributes to recovery.To examine the daily use and factor structure of the 12 steps and intrapersonal predictors and moderators of 12-step use. To determine whether the 12 steps were used in response to daily craving and, if so, which steps and in what contexts.Data comprised 1304 end-of-day diary data entries from 55 young adults collected in 2008 from members of a college recovery community, combined with person-level baseline measures. Exploratory factor analysis examined the factor structure, and multi-level models examined both day-level and person-level predictors and moderators of step use, including meeting attendance, drug and alcohol dependence, social support, and coping strategies.Analyses produced two factors: Everyday steps, comprising surrender and maintenance steps, and action steps. Moderation analyses revealed that only action steps were significantly associated with craving, suggesting that craving can spur their use, but only among individuals pursuing certain general strategies for coping with stress: Separate median-split models produced significant associations between craving and action steps only among individuals high in avoidance, high in support-seeking, and/or low in problem-solving. Conclusions/Importance: This is the first study to empirically discern a 2-factor structure underlying the 12 steps, and to show that the two sets of steps are used in different contexts. The study also illustrates the value of person-centered approaches to recovery research and practice.

A large body of research exists on the causes, effects/consequences, and treatment of substance use disorder (SUD). However, studies on recovery from SUD, including its definition, factors, and sustainability, are lacking. The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the factors of recovery from SUD by developing and testing the Hope and Coping in Recovery Measure (HCRM). A principal components analysis revealed two distinct factors (hope and coping) to be present in the process of recovery from SUD. Implications for future research on the recovery process and the HCRM are discussed.

Craving, a compulsive motivation to use, and conscious readiness to change (RTC) are distinct motivators of human behavior. Recovery requires RTC despite involuntary cravings. A structural equation modeling analysis examining hope as a mediator between these constructs found craving to directly associate with precontemplation, while hope partially mediated the relationship between craving, contemplation, and coping. Craving's indirect effect on action toward change occurred only through hope. While craving appears to be a strong associate of precontemplation, hope appears to be an important associate of contemplation toward change and appears to be required for action. Hope also appears to be an important factor of coping in recovery.

More than ever, people are seeking substance use disorder treatment during the adolescent and young adult stages of development. Developmentally, many of these young adults new to recovery are in the process of making career decisions that may require attendance at a college or university. However, the collegiate environment is not conducive to a recovery lifestyle. Since the 1980s, several colleges and universities have implemented Collegiate Recovery Programs, offering students “safe havens” where they can obtain support from other students in recovery and from staff while they pursue a college education. The collegiate recovery programs have been successful at graduating students and supporting their recovery. Today, there are more than 75 collegiate recovery programs already established or in the process of development, serving more than 500 students across the United States. Although the various programs offer different types of services, each one seems to be having some type of success based on the ...

As the broad construct of recovery increasingly guides addiction services and policy, federal agencies have called for the expansion of peer-driven recovery support services. The high prevalence of substance use and abuse in colleges and universities in the U.S. constitute a significant obstacle to pursuing an education for the unknown number of youths who have attained remission from substance use dependence. Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) are an innovative and growing model of peer-driven recovery support delivered on college campuses. Although no systematic research has examined CRPs, available site-level records suggest encouraging outcomes: low relapse rates and above average academic achievement. The number of CRPs nationwide is growing, but there is a noticeable lack of data on the model, its students and their outcomes. We review the literature supporting the need for the expansion of CRPs, present information on the diversity of CRP services and outline key areas where research is needed.

Recovery blesses those it rescues from addiction; however, alcoholics/addicts must be ready for recovery before it can claim them. Inpatient treatment therefore can be effective if it increases addicts' readiness for change. However, research is needed on factors associated with an alcoholic/addict becoming ready for change. Hope, resiliency, family functioning, and craving are important factors of addiction and recovery included in this study in a logistic regression that assesses their relationship to an addict's readiness for change. Along with baseline treatment levels of readiness, increases in hope and decreases in craving significantly associated with increased readiness for change posttreatment.

Research is needed that confirms inpatient treatment outcomes and evaluates patient typologies. Factors of early recovery and inpatient treatment are examined to (1) support inpatient treatment effectiveness research, (2) explore impacts on outcomes of patient differences (collegiate vs. traditional), and (3) learn about factors that influence inpatient treatment effectiveness. Overall, 95 of 149 (63.8%) participants were classified as progressing in readiness for change from pre to post treatment. Second, a MANCOVA showed significant increases in hope, resiliency, and family functioning and decreases in craving from pre- to posttreatment. Expectations of significant differences in rates of change of treatment outcome variables between traditional and collegiate recovery programs were partially supported.

Three phases exist in addressing substance use and dependence: prevention, treatment, and recovery. Recovery is perhaps the most essential stage on the continuum of substance dependence, yet it has failed to receive adequate attention in the literature. This article introduces a relapse resilient systemic Process Model of Addiction and Recovery for recovery. Case examples illustrate the use of a systemic approach in recovering individuals.

The Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery (CSAR; a center within the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University) operates a Collegiate Recovery Community. This community provides a model of support and relapse prevention for college students recovering from addictive behaviors—primarily alcohol and drug addiction. In addition, the CSAR provides the clinical management for an inpatient alcohol and drug treatment facility, The Ranch at Dove Tree (DTR). Professionals at DTR work with individuals using a number of different therapeutic techniques including individual therapy, gender-specific group therapy, multifamily therapy groups, trauma groups, and life skills groups. This article presents a revised multifamily group curriculum developed by the authors and originally tested in an outpatient treatment program. This revised multifamily curriculum was implemented as part of the multifamily programs of both the CSAR and DTR. Preliminary feedback gathered as part of the CSAR family program is ...

In the past decades one response to the increase of college drinking is the growing prevalence of Collegiate Recovery Communities (CRC). Numerous publications on these programs exist, yet a review does not. With a growing need for evidence-based model programs to address the concerns of alcohol abuse and dependence on college campuses, the importance of a collection on the effectiveness of CRCs exists. The goal of this article is to compile a thorough overview of data on CRCs in the United States, focusing specifically on the role of social support in recovery maintenance. Recommendations for future directions are discussed.

This study examines associations among adolescent drinking, young adult drinking, and romantic partner drinking through selection and socialization processes in young adult dating, cohabiting, and marital relationships. Hierarchical regression analyses, using data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health ( n = 1132), demonstrated significant selection and socialization effects for young adult romantic partner drinking. Moderating effects indicated that romantic partner drinking significantly predicted young adult drinking within dating and cohabiting relationships, but not within married relationships. Both young adult women and men had positive associations between their own and partners' drinking, but this association was significantly stronger for males. Continuing to study the effects of romantic partners on risky behaviors during adolescence and young adults is warranted.

As the population of young adults in recovery from substance abuse increases, colleges are developing collegiate recovery communities. The goal of these communities is to provide students in recovery the opportunity to receive social support for abstinence from other abstaining individuals. To examine how social support in such a recovery community context occurs, this study analyzed 1,304 end-of-day reports made by 55 abstaining college students, 39 males and 16 females (mean age = 22.6). Two “talking with others about recovery” outcomes were examined: recovery talks outside of the community drop-in center and recovery talks at the drop-in center. Preliminary analyses revealed that the majority of recovery talks at and outside the drop-in center varied more between days within participants than they did across participants. Primary results revealed that daily levels of cravings and negative mood predicted same-day variation in recovery talks occurring outside of the drop-in center. In contrast, recovery ...

Students who are in recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions face special challenges in a university setting, yet we know little about how they negotiate recovery maintenance within this context. This study focuses on recovery identity, exploring how the negotiation of recovery maintenance differs depending on the type of identity. The 15 students in the study were all in recovery from alcohol and other drug abuse. They entered the university and the campus recovery program either in the fall of 2002 or fall of 2003. Semistructured interviews were conducted multiple times during their first academic year, and for some students, at the end of their second year. Qualitative analyses indicated that the college experience differs in some ways with the type of recovery identity, but also that certain challenges are salient for all students. Implications are discussed for program development and for practitioners who work with recovering students on college campuses.

This study addresses the meanings of alcohol/other drug use for those who, during adolescence, moved beyond experimentation to dysfunctional levels of use. Interviews were conducted with 12 students in recovery from alcohol/other drug dependency, all currently participating in a university-based recovery program. Interpretive phenomenological analyses of the interviews revealed that meanings ascribed to use were extensive, complex, and intertwining. Students viewed their alcohol/other drug use in negative ways—as an escape, as a mask to feelings, and as leading to a double life. Yet they also saw it as normative, developmentally significant, and as an integral part of their social interactions.

The Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery (CSAR) (a Center within the College of Human Sciences at Texas Tech University, TTU), has developed a comprehensive Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC). This community provides a model of support and relapse prevention for college students recovering from addictive behaviors—primarily alcohol/drug addiction. This model is specifically targeted for implementation in the college/university setting and has been used at TTU for 20 years. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review the literature related to substance use among college-aged individuals, discuss the challenges of recovery within this population, describe existing collegiate programs, and provide an extensive description of the CRC model. The CRC model specifically incorporates recovery support, access to higher education/educational support, peer support, family support, and community support/service in an effort to help individuals attain what we describe as systems-based sustained ...

Addiction science has primarily utilized self-report, continued substance use, and relapse factors to explore the process of recovery. However, the entry into successful abstinence substantially reduces our assessment abilities. Advances in neuroscience may be the key to objective understanding, treating, and monitoring long-term success in addiction recovery.To explore functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIR) as a viable technique in the assessment of addiction-cue reactivity. Specifically, prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation to alcohol cues was explored among formally alcohol-dependent individuals, across varying levels of successful abstinence. The aim of the investigation was to identify patterns of PFC activation change consistent with duration of abstinence.A total of 15 formally alcohol-dependent individuals, with abstinence durations ranging from 1 month to 10 years, viewed alcohol images during fNIR PFC assessment. Participants also subjectively rated the same images for affect and arousal level.Subjective ratings of alcohol cues did not significantly correlate with duration of abstinence. As expected, days of abstinence did not significantly correlate with neutral cue fNIR reactivity. However, for alcohol cues, fNIR results showed increased days of abstinence was associated with decreased activation within the dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex regions.The present results suggest that fNIR may be a viable tool in the assessment of addiction-cue reactivity. RESULTS also support previous findings on the importance of dorsolateral and dorsomedial PFC in alcohol-cue activation. The findings build upon these past results suggesting that fNIR-assessed activation may represent a robust biological marker of successful addiction recovery.

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately 15% of reproductive-age women and increases risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cancer and infertility. Hyperinsulinemia is believed to contribute to or worsen all of these conditions, and increases androgens in women with PCOS. Carbohydrates are the main stimulators of insulin release, but research shows that dairy products and starches elicit greater postprandial insulin secretion than non-starchy vegetables and fruits. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an 8-week low-starch/low-dairy diet results in weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity, and reduced testosterone in women with PCOS. Methods: Prospective 8-week dietary intervention using an ad libitum low starch/low dairy diet in 24 overweight and obese women (BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and ≤45 kg/m2) with PCOS. Diagnosis of PCOS was based on the Rotterdam criteria. Weight, BMI, Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR), fasting and 2-hour glucose and insulin, homeostasis model assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), HbA1c, total and free testosterone, and Ferriman-Gallwey scores were measured before and after the 8-week intervention. Results: There was a reduction in weight (-8.61 ± 2.34 kg, p

The separate and combined influences of sexual victimization, gender, and the summed duration (years) of alcohol and other drug abuse on treatment history were examined, using regression analyses. Sexual victimization was reported by 6.9% of males and 37.4% of females in treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse. Results indicated that gender and sexual victimization were both linked to the summed years of alcohol and other drug abuse, which was linked to treatment history. Women who had experienced sexual abuse had lengthier and more troubled treatment histories. Implications for treatment are discussed.

Psychological constructs, such as negative affect and substance use cravings that closely predict relapse, show substantial intra-individual day-to-day variability. This intra-individual variability of relevant psychological states combined with the “one day of a time” nature of sustained abstinence warrant a day-to-day investigation of substance use recovery. This study examines day-to-day associations among substance use cravings, negative affect, and tobacco use among 30 college students in 12-step recovery from drug and alcohol addictions. To account for individual variability in day-to-day process, it applies an idiographic approach. The sample of 20 males and 10 females (mean age = 21) was drawn from members of a collegiate recovery community at a large university. Data were collected with end-of-day data collections taking place over an average of 26.7 days. First-order vector autoregression models were fit to each individual predicting daily levels of substance use cravings, negative affect, and tobacco use from the same three variables one day prior. Individual model results demonstrated substantial inter-individual differences in intra-individual recovery process. Based on estimates from individual models, cluster analyses were used to group individuals into two homogeneous subgroups. Group comparisons demonstrate distinct patterns in the day-to-day associations among substance use cravings, negative affect, and tobacco use, suggesting the importance of idiographic approaches to recovery management and that the potential value of focusing on negative affect or tobacco use as prevention targets depends on idiosyncratic processes.

Relapse rates are high among individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), and for young people pursuing a college education, the high rates of substance use on campus can jeopardize recovery. Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) are an innovative campus-based model of recovery support that is gaining popularity but remains under-investigated. This study reports on the first nationwide survey of CRP-enrolled students (N = 486 from 29 different CRPs). Using an online survey, we collected information on background, SUD and recovery history, and current functioning. Most students (43% females, mean age =26) had used multiple substances, had high levels of SUD severity, high rates of treatment and 12-step participation. Fully 40% smoke. Many reported criminal justice involvement and periods of homelessness. Notably, many reported being in recovery from, and currently engaging in multiple behavioral addictions-e.g., eating disorders, and sex and love addiction. Findings highlight the high rates of co-occurring addictions in this under-examined population and underline the need for treatment, recovery support programs and college health services to provide integrated support for mental health and behavioral addictions to SUD--affected young people.

For too many college students, college represents the last bastion of adolescent irresponsibility. On most college campuses, drugs and alcohol are widely available, and students are loudly exhorted by peers and other social and cultural influences to drink and use drugs, with excessive substance use often seen as a rite of passage (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University [CASA], 2007).

Nearly 2 million American men and women are annually treated for substance abuse (SAMHSA, 2002). Unfortunately, as most substance abuse patients will relapse within a year or even within the first few months (Weisner, Matzger, & Kaskutas, 2002; Bond, Kaskutas, & Weisner, 2003), it is clear that treatment alone does not translate into long-term abstinence. What appears to help many but certainly not all of those wishing to remain abstinent is affiliating with mutual help support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) (Emrick, Tonigan, Montgomery, & Little, 1993; Tonigan, Miller, & Connors, 2000; Tonigan, Tocova, & Miller, 1996).

Objective: The authors aimed to gain information on (1) the challenges for recovering students on a university campus and (2) the most helpful components of a collegiate recovery program. Participants: The 15 students in the study were all in recovery from substance abuse. They entered the university and also entered the campus recovery program either in fall 2002 or fall 2003. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with students multiple times during their first academic year. Results: Participants identified several challenges on the university campus. Many believed they would have dropped out of school or relapsed without the support of the recovery program, and they described aspects of the program that were particularly important to them. Conclusions: Support from a campus recovery program is essential for many recovering students. There are a variety of recovery program components that can foster the sense of community that was so important to the students in this study.

To address the lack of research examining within-person processes associated with the maintenance of abstinence from substance use, this study examines both associations between negative affect and social experiences and same-day levels of substance use cravings among college students in 'Twelve-Step' substance abuse recovery and the role of coping strategies in moderating these within-day associations. The sample consisted of 1222 end-of-day reports made by 55 recovering college students, 39 males and 16 females. Findings include that daily cravings were predicted by same-day negative affect and each of four negative social experiences. Moreover, each of these within-day associations was moderated by individuals' levels of avoidance coping. In contrast, problem-solving coping only moderated the associations between negative affect and cravings. These findings document a within-day mechanism through which coping strategies, especially avoidance coping, may influence daily variation in cravings and in turn affect abstinence.

As adolescents have entered substance abuse treatment programs in greater numbers than ever before [Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, 2004. Substance abuse treatment by primary substance of abuse. (http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/dasis.htm#teds2). Retrieved September 2004], increasing numbers of young adults are beginning college in 12-step recovery. Unfortunately, with social contexts organized around excessive alcohol consumption, colleges may be the most difficult place through which to control drinking behaviors, let alone remain abstinent. This study used data collected during 2004 and 2005 to describe members of the largest collegiate recovery community in the United States. Included in this study are the following: a description of the program that supports the community, the methods and measurements used to collect data, and results describing the substance use history and characteristics of the community members (N = 82). Collected at a large southwestern university, the data provide drug and alcohol counselors, treatment providers, school administrators, and researchers with the first description of a large collegiate recovery community.