Recovery for the whole person : A qualitative study of the experiences of treatment staff

The purpose of this paper is to investigate treatment staff’s views on how the overall treatment effort contributes to clients’ recovery within substance abuse care in Sweden. Specifically, the study examines the discrepancy between what clients, according to previous research, consider necessary to regard themselves as recovered and what treatment staff emphasize in their work. The study is based on a qualitative approach and includes six semi-structured interviews with treatment staff from two different treatment centers. The data are analyzed using thematic analysis and interpreted through the theoretical framework of recovery capital. The results indicate that recovery from substance use is best understood as a holistic process. Treatment staff emphasize a holistic view of recovery that encompasses three interconnected dimensions: physical, mental, and spiritual recovery. The findings show that staff view structure as a fundamental prerequisite. Within this structure, compassion is practiced in ways that promote a supportive family-like atmosphere and the therapeutic alliance. These are further reinforced through spiritual exercises. The results of this paper further show that this structure creates conditions for addressing central areas that might otherwise constitute obstacles in the recovery process, such as the client’s family and social networks. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of clinical practice affirming recovery-related areas that previous research has shown clients to value, such as structure and specific life domains. Furthermore, the results indicate that spiritual aspects and treatment duration are key mechanisms supporting the client’s recovery process.