Voicing student recovery: Embracing diversity in collegiate recovery programs

Abstract

Objective: To discuss the engagement of patients and stakeholders (ie, faculty, staff, healthcare providers, and university administrators) in capacity building activities to prepare for future patient-centered research on collegiate recovery. Participants: 502 attended capacity building activities and provided input on priorities for future research in collegiate recovery and 77 participated in the deliberative democracy forum process. Methods: We used surveys and the deliberative democracy forum method, which includes framing sessions and forums for data collection. This method enables individuals with diverse backgrounds to share and learn about differing viewpoints to build consensus for decision making. Results: Forum participants prioritized barriers to recovery for future research and discussed the need to address diversity in collegiate recovery programs, including racial/ethnic diversity in the student recovery population and diversity in pathways to recovery, to decrease barriers to recovery. Conclusions: Institutional support for research on collegiate recovery is critical to move the field forward.

Keywords:

• Barriers to recovery
• college health
• collegiate recovery
• critical theory
• deliberative methods
• diversity in recovery

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the University of California Riverside Institutional Review Board.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington Engagement Award (grant no. 12152-RUOC).