Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC)

Foundational Context

The concept of “recovery capital” describes the total sum of resources—internal and external—that support sustained recovery from substance use. This framework broadens the focus beyond abstinence or symptom reduction, recognizing that recovery depends on a combination of personal capacities, social supports, and structural stability.

The ARC was developed as the first comprehensive measure grounded in this recovery capital model. Through large-scale validation work (Groshkova et al., 2013), the authors created a multidimensional assessment capable of capturing the rich complexity of recovery across contexts. The ARC has since become foundational in recovery science, informing program development, longitudinal research, and clinical practice worldwide. Its success later inspired the BARC-10, a brief form that preserves core components but at reduced length.

What the Assessment Measures

The ARC evaluates recovery-supporting resources across both internal and external domains.

The assessment measures:

• Personal Recovery Capital Psychological health, emotional functioning, coping skills, physical wellness, sense of purpose, autonomy, self-efficacy, and personal growth.
• Social Recovery Capital Supportive relationships, family resources, community belonging, social networks, cultural connectedness, and accessible recovery-supportive environments.

Together, these domains offer a holistic, strengths-based view of an individual’s recovery landscape.

Interpretation Guidelines

The ARC produces three key scores:

1. Personal Recovery Capital Score
2. Social Recovery Capital Score
3. Total Recovery Capital Score
   

Interpretation Notes:

• There are no universal clinical cutoffs; the ARC uses a comparative, descriptive interpretation model.
• Higher scores indicate stronger resources for sustaining recovery, but are not predictive of abstinence or diagnostic outcomes.
• Lower scores may signal vulnerabilities in areas such as social support, financial stability, health, or coping capacity.
• Strong performance in one domain (e.g., personal strengths) may offset challenges in another (e.g., limited social support), and vice versa.
• Interpretation should be contextualized with lived experience, socioeconomic factors, and recovery stage.
• Changes over time may be more clinically meaningful than any single score.

The ARC is best used to guide therapeutic conversations, identify support needs, and reinforce strengths.

Psychometric Properties

Reliability

• Strong internal consistency across personal and social domains
• High reliability demonstrated in multiple independent studies
• Stability over time supports use in longitudinal monitoring

Validity

• Strong construct validity, reflecting theoretical recovery capital models
• Convergent validity with wellbeing, quality of life, and positive recovery outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to differentiate between early and stable recovery
• Factor structure supports the two-subscale model (personal and social)

Administration Considerations

• Typically self-administered, but clinician support may be useful for individuals with literacy or cognitive barriers
• Suitable for inpatient, outpatient, community recovery programs, peer-based settings, or telehealth
• Best administered in a strengths-oriented, non-stigmatizing environment
• Length may be a consideration in high-volume settings, though its comprehensiveness offers deep insight
• Particularly valuable when paired with goal-setting or recovery planning tools

Limitations

• Screening strengths, not substance-use severity—must be paired with other assessments
• Self-report may be affected by optimism bias or social desirability
• No standardized clinical cutoffs, making interpretation relative rather than categorical
• Performance may vary depending on cultural or socioeconomic context
• Longer than the BARC-10, which may limit use in brief encounters