Complementary services improve recovery outcomes among college students with alcohol or other drug related use disorders

There is limited research on how different treatment modalities relate to holistic recovery outcomes for alcohol or other drug-related use disorders among college students. Using national data from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III (2019–2022), we analyzed 1,816 students who reported an alcohol or other drug-related use disorder, had engaged with a healthcare or mental health professional in the past year, and indicated a treatment type received. Multivariate linear regression examined associations between treatment modalities, including no treatment, medication only, therapy only, combined therapy and medication, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), 12-Step programs, and other treatments, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s four recovery domains of health, home, purpose, and community. Students participating in AA/NA/12-Step programs demonstrated the highest mean scores across all domains, whereas those receiving no treatment had the lowest. In adjusted models, engagement in AA/NA/12-Step programs or combined therapy and medication was associated with significantly higher overall recovery scores compared with no treatment or single-modality approaches. These findings emphasize the role of social support and integrated treatment in fostering recovery and inform the design of individualized university recovery programs.