Background: Emergency department (ED) visits are an opportunity to provide prevention services to people at high risk of overdose. Considering patients' resources to initiate and sustain recovery ("recovery capital") may be useful for tailoring ED services, although its relevance in this population is unknown.
Methods: This secondary analysis used data from ED patients at high risk of opioid overdose enrolled in a randomized controlled trial in Rhode Island (2018-2021). We assessed baseline recovery capital using the Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC-10), dichotomized as a total score <47 versus ≥47. Post-discharge addiction treatment engagement within 30 days and non-fatal opioid overdose and fatal overdose within 18 months were assessed using statewide administrative data. We used modified Poisson regression and Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the association between recovery capital and (1) treatment engagement and (2) overdose risk, respectively, adjusting for potential confounders.
Results: Among 543 participants, 32.2% had a baseline BARC-10 total score of ≥47, 32.6% engaged in treatment within 30 days, and 25.6% had a non-fatal opioid overdose and 4.2% had a fatal overdose within 18 months. BARC-10 total score was not associated with treatment engagement within 30 days (adjusted relative risk = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.60-1.05) or non-fatal opioid overdose (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.57-1.20) or fatal overdose (aHR = 0.45, 95%CI = 0.14-1.40) within 18 months.
Conclusion: The majority of ED patients at high risk of opioid overdose had a BARC-10 total score of <47, suggesting low recovery capital. BARC-10 total score was not associated with post-discharge treatment engagement or overdose risk.
Keywords: Recovery capital; addiction treatment; emergency medicine; opioid use disorder; overdose; substance use disorder.