University Students in Recovery: Implications of Different Types of Recovery Identities and Common Challenges

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.