Why recovery?

What is the best measure?

Recovery is classed as a ‘dimension’ outcome measure; it is essentially a quality of life measure where a successful recovery is about living a normal life, whatever that might mean, and at the same time coping effectively with addiction. Recovery is, therefore, suggested as one of the four key measures of addiction outcomes.

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The Quality Framework

the measurement scales…

Addiction Recovery Questionnaire - ARQ

The ARQ was designed on the basis of what service users, their family and friends, and addiction specialists thought recovery means. It is a treatment planning tool and outcome measure. The substance use involvement sub-scale distinguishes the ARQ from quality of life measures. Values are given for calculating clinically significant change.

  • Timeframe :: The last 30 days

  • Completion time :: <2 minutes

  • Scoring :: All items are scored 0-1-2-3 (questions 5,6,8 and 9 are reverse scored) giving a maximum of 36. Up to two unanswered items can be pro-rated by allocating the mean score for the valid responses

  • Cut-off scores :: The scale developers recommend seeing recovery as a continuous data variable and have not suggested cut-off points. A very high score would indicate a lifestyle beyond most people in the general population

  • Clinically significant change :: The reliable change score is >=4 and functional population scores >22

  • Licence: BY-NC-ND

User guide

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Try the ARQ

References (psychometrics)

Thurgood S, Crosby H, Raistrick D, Tober G (2014) Service user, family and friends' views on the meaning of a 'good outcome' of treatment for an addiction problem. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 21: 324-32

Iveson-Brown K & Raistrick D (2016) A brief Addiction Recovery Questionnaire derived from the views of service users and concerned others. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 23: 41-7

Truby P (2020) Validation of the Addiction Recovery Questionnaire. University of Leeds MPhil Dissertation

Truby P, Hewitt C, Raistrick D, Tober G & Watson J (2023) Measuring Recovery: The Addiction Recovery Questionnaire (ARQ), Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2023.2167529

References (translations)

Saghir M, Bhatti MI & Ahmed F (2023) Translation and validation of Addiction Recovery Questionnaire (ARQ). Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities 4: 94-101 https://doi.org/10.55737/qjssh.143024809 (translation to Urdu)

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  • Recovery scales are essentially Quality of Life scales but slanted towards the inclusion of items that are relevant to people with an addiction problem

    Assessment of Recovery Capital - ARC

    Twelve Promises Scale -TPS

    Substance Abuse Treatment Scale - SATS

  • Euroqol Five Dimensions - EQ5D

    Basic Needs Satisfaction in General - BNSG

    WHO Quality of Life (brief) - WHOQOL