The Recovery Strengths Questionnaire for alcohol and drug use disorders

Introduction and Aims The Recovery Strengths Questionnaire (RSQ) is a 15-item self-report questionnaire that assesses an addicted individual's recovery strengths. This study aimed to validate the RSQ as a measure of recovery capital. Design and Methods As part of a larger study, 151 participants in addiction recovery groups from across the UK completed the RSQ. Participants also completed the Assessment of Recovery Capital questionnaire and provided some demographic information. Results The RSQ was found to be psychometrically sound, with high internal consistency and concurrent validity with the Assessment of Recovery Capital. RSQ scores were positively correlated with length of time in recovery and length of membership in recovery groups, and the scores could be used to discriminate between those in early and late recovery. Principal components analysis revealed a two-factor structure of recovery capital. These two factors were named 'within-group recovery strengths' and 'externally generated recovery strengths', and it was found that only the within-group factor scale (i.e. resources developed within recovery groups) predicted length of time in recovery and recovery groups. Discussion and Conclusions These results highlight the important role that recovery groups can play in an individual's recovery, and they provide an alternative factor structure to the one-factor structure of the Assessment of Recovery Capital.