Research and resource page
Research Foundation
This page provides the research foundation supporting the work on Aging in Recovery and the development of the Aging in Recovery Residential Model (ARRM). The sources included here are drawn from peer-reviewed journals, federal public health agencies, and established research institutions. They reflect current evidence related to substance use, recovery trajectories, and aging populations.
Foundational Reports on Addiction & Recovery
These reports provide the core scientific and public health understanding of addiction as a chronic condition and establish the national framework for prevention, treatment, and recovery.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction (8th ed.). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health.
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2016). Facing addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s report on alcohol, drugs, and health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/addiction/index.html
Public Health & Neuroscience of Addiction
These sources explain the biological, neurological, and population-level dynamics of substance use, including mortality trends and the neurobiology of addiction.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 2001–2021.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2021). Alcohol’s effects on health.
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/
Volkow, N. D., & Boyle, M. (2018). Neuroscience of addiction: Relevance to prevention and treatment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(8), 729–740.
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17101174
Core Research & Public Health Evidence
These peer-reviewed studies provide empirical evidence on substance use patterns, recovery prevalence, and long-term outcomes.
Grant, B. F., Chou, S. P., Saha, T. D., et al. (2017). Prevalence of 12-month alcohol use, high-risk drinking, and DSM-IV alcohol use disorder in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(9), 911–923.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2161
Bonnet, U., Borda, T., Scherbaum, N., & Specka, M. (2015). Abstinence phenomena of chronic cannabis-addicts… Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 155, 302–306.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.003
Kelly, J. F., Bergman, B. G., Hoeppner, B. B., Vilsaint, C. L., & White, W. L. (2017). Prevalence and pathways of recovery from drug and alcohol problems in the United States population. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 181, 162–169.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6076174/
Spencer, M. R., Garnett, M. F., & Miniño, A. M. (2024). Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 2002–2022 (NCHS Data Brief No. 491).
https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:135849
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators…
Recovery Science & Aging
These sources focus specifically on recovery trajectories, long-term outcomes, and the experiences of individuals aging in recovery.
Bahl, N. K. H., et al. (2023). Experiences of older adults in recovery.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10740266/
Laudet, A. B. (2002). Pathways to long-term recovery. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 34(3), 305–311.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1852519/
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Substance use in older adults.
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/substance-use-in-older-adults-drugfacts
O’Grady, M. (2025). Tailoring treatment for substance use disorders in older adults.
https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/advance-article/doi/10.1093/geroni/igaf027/8074996
Tucker, J. A., et al. (2020). Epidemiology of recovery.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7643818/
Volkow, N. D., & Morales, M. (2019). The brain on drugs: From reward to addiction.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6890985/
Foundations of Recovery, Workforce, and Social Context
These works provide the theoretical, historical, and workforce context necessary to understand recovery as a long-term social and structural process.
Administration for Community Living. (2022). 2021 profile of older Americans.
https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/data-and-research/profile-older-americans
Cloud, W., & Granfield, R. (2008). Conceptualizing recovery capital. Substance Use & Misuse, 43(12–13), 1971–1986.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10826080802289762
Courtwright, D. T. (2010). Dark paradise: A history of opiate addiction in America.
Hutchison, E. D. (2019). Dimensions of human behavior: Person and environment (6th ed.).
Institute of Medicine. (2012). The mental health and substance use workforce for older adults: In whose hands?
https://doi.org/10.17226/13400
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). TIP 63: Medications for opioid use disorder.
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/TIP-63-Medications-for-Opioid-Use-Disorder-Full-Document/PEP21-02-01-002
Tracy, K., & Wallace, S. P. (2016). Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addiction.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5047716/
White, W. L. (2009). Peer-based addiction recovery support.
https://attcnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/peer-based-recovery-support.pdf
Health Systems & Aging Policy
These sources address the structural and policy implications of an aging population and the impact on health systems and service delivery.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2024). National health expenditure data: NHE fact sheet.
https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/nhe-fact-sheet
Hajizadeh, A., et al. (2025). Consequences of population ageing on health systems.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11837792/
New York State Office for the Aging. (2023). Older New Yorkers: Key indicators.
https://aging.ny.gov/
World Health Organization. (2024). Ageing and health.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
Taken together, this body of research underscores a structural gap in current health and social service systems. While addiction treatment and aging services have evolved independently, neither has been designed to support individuals who achieve long-term recovery and live into older adulthood.
The Aging in Recovery Residential Model (ARRM) is a conceptual and practice-based response to this gap, advancing a recovery-informed approach to aging that integrates policy, workforce development, and community-based care.
For a detailed overview of this framework, visit the Aging in Recovery Residential Model (ARRM) page:
[INSERT ARRM PAGE URL HERE]