Examining sexual minority engagement in recovery community centers

Introduction: Research indicates that sexual minority (SM) individuals with alcohol and other drug use disorders may underutilize recovery resources generally but be more likely to use recovery community centers (RCCs). To inform recovery supports, this study characterized SM and heterosexual RCC members by demographics and clinical and recovery support service utilization. Methods: Cross-sectional secondary analyses compared SM and heterosexual RCC members in the northeastern U.S. (n = 337). Qualitative analyses coded the top three recovery facilitators. Results: Of the 337 participants (Mean_age[SD] = 40.98[12.38], 51.8 % female), SM RCC members were more likely than heterosexuals to endorse lifetime psychiatric diagnoses and emergency department mental health treatment (p < .01). RCC service utilization and qualitatively derived recovery facilitators were mostly consistent across groups. Conclusions: RCCs engaged SM individuals in recovery in ways consistent with heterosexuals. Despite otherwise vastly similar demographic characteristics across sexual identity, findings suggest a need for additional mental health resources for SM individuals in recovery.