Recovery Capital
The breadth and depth of internal and external resources an individual can draw upon to initiate and sustain mental health recovery, encompassing personal, social, and community assets.
Full Definition
Recovery capital is a concept in community psychiatry and addiction medicine describing the aggregate of resources available to a person pursuing recovery from mental illness or substance use. Internal recovery capital includes attributes such as self-efficacy, coping skills, and cognitive functioning, while external recovery capital encompasses social support networks, stable housing, employment, and access to services. Community recovery capital refers to the attitudes and resources within a person's broader environment, including neighbourhood safety and community belonging. Editors must use 'recovery capital' as a compound noun (no hyphen) and should distinguish it from 'recovery support,' which refers to specific service activities rather than the holistic asset framework.
Usage
Usage note: Write as two words, no hyphen. Avoid conflating with 'social capital,' which is a broader sociological construct not specific to psychiatric recovery.
In Context
- "The assessment tool was designed to measure changes in recovery capital over a 12-month period across three domains: personal, social, and community." — Outcomes evaluation report
- "Staff are trained to identify and build upon existing recovery capital rather than focusing solely on symptom reduction." — Staff training curriculum