Rethinking Recovery: Psychological Flexibility and Growth Across Diverse Recovery Approaches

Although recovery capital and psychological flexibility have each been associated with substance use recovery, their combined role in fostering posttraumatic growth remains unclear. This study integrates recovery capital theory with psychological flexibility and posttraumatic growth frameworks to test a theory-driven model of adaptive recovery processes. The study sought to (1) examine whether recovery capital or abstinence predicts posttraumatic growth, (2) assess whether recovery capital or abstinence status predicts psychological flexibility, and (3) test whether psychological flexibility statistically mediates the relationship between recovery and posttraumatic growth. A national sample of 244 adults in recovery from substance use disorder completed the Assessment of Recovery Capital, the Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory—Expanded. Multiple linear regressions addressed the first two aims. For Aim 3, the mediation model was tested using the SPSS PROCESS macro (version 4.0) with 5000 bootstrap resamples. Recovery capital significantly predicted both posttraumatic growth and psychological flexibility. Abstinence status did not predict posttraumatic or psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility partially mediated the association between recovery capital and posttraumatic growth. Psychological flexibility may be a key mechanism by which recovery capital fosters posttraumatic growth, supporting interventions that enhance both resources beyond abstinence alone.