Abstract
Rural universities provide unique opportunities for public health services. For some college students, the environment may threaten a person’s recovery from a substance use disorder, yet navigating college, relationships, and recovery is manageable through supportive initiatives funded by higher education. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews to gather a family system perspective on the recovery process from alcohol or other drugs. Recruited through a southern university-sponsored Collegiate Recovery Program, interviews were conducted with 5 individuals in recovery and 14 of their family members. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that families need support in different ways, including building a foundational knowledge of recovery for the family members. Collegiate Recovery Programs can be a mechanism to provide support to both the individual and the family system.
Recommended Citation
Pylate, Leah, Alisha Hardman, Lori Staton, Laura Downey, and Joe Wilmoth. 2025. "College Students and Families Navigate Recovery from Alcohol and Other Drugs." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 40(1): Article 3. Available at: https://open.clemson.edu/jrss/vol40/iss1/3
