Individual Paths to Recovery from Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

The Career Trajectories and Outcomes in Substance Use Recovery: A Scoping Review

“…These results challenge whether or not only individuals who achieve total abstinence can consider themselves to be “in recovery” and whether the results of this scoping review are applicable to individuals with non-abstinent recovery. As such, due to the unique experience that is recovery and the multiple pathways in which individuals achieve recovery (Best & Nisic, 2022), the trajectories and outcomes highlighted in this review may not apply to every individual in recovery and perhaps do not encompass all trajectories and outcomes of individuals in recovery during the course of their career development. Studies in this review also had varied criteria for defining recovery, with individuals in one study only having three days of recovery time (Crutchfield & Guss, 2019).…”

“…A review of the literature on this topic could prove useful in highlighting the recurring themes relevant to positive trajectories and outcomes in returning to work, as well as barriers, plus identify supports that help and hinder the career development of the individual in recovery. While considering how recovery is a unique experience for each individual, the definition of recovery likewise reflects these variations (Best & Nisic, 2022; Costello et al, 2020). This review attempts to highlight the diverse trajectories and outcomes of people who are in recovery from substance use problems, including employment and education.…”