Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42316160›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2026

Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to explore mutual-help group implementation challenges in college recovery programs.

Noel Vest, Erin Major, Meredith B Brooks, Joo H Lee, Isabel Redman, Justin Bell, Connor Buchholz, Allie Silverman, Mark McGovern, John Kelly and 4 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Noel VestDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. vest@bu.edu.
Erin MajorDepartment of Health Policy and Law Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Meredith B BrooksDepartment of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Joo H LeeDepartment of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Isabel RedmanDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Justin BellLighthouse Institute Chestnut Health Systems, Chicago, IL, USA.
Connor BuchholzDepartment of Health Policy and Law Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Allie SilvermanInstitute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
Mark McGovernDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
John KellyRecovery Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Christine TimkoDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Michael D SteinDepartment of Health Policy and Law Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Christina FreibottDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Alison HamiltonDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral ScienceDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Funding

Collegiate recovery programming in the U.S.: An implementation science and mixed methods studyK01DA053391 · NIDA · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Noel Adam Vest · 2022 to 2026
$882k
NIDA NIH HHS K01 DA053391NIDA NIH HHS L30 DA056944
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMutual-help groups (MHGs) are an effective resource in improving health for emerging adults in addiction recovery. Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) have the infrastructure to support mutual help meeting implementation for this high-risk priority population for substance misuse. Despite their established role as an addiction recovery resource, the implementation of MHGs within CRPs is inconsistent and highly variable across institutions. To address this gap, we explored barriers and facilitators to planning and implementing MHGs within CRPs.

methodWe conducted qualitative interviews with 18 program director and college administrator participants from five CRPs across the United States in 2023. The guide focused on four domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research 2.0: Innovation, Inner Setting, Outer Setting, and Individuals. Thematic analysis was conducted using an iterative coding approach to identify key facilitators and barriers to MHG implementation.

resultsFour cross-cutting themes shaped MHG implementation within CRPs: (1) recovery-aligned leadership and facilitation, (2) institutional positioning and infrastructure, (3) sustainability and resourcing, and (4) inclusivity and pathway fit. Across these themes, leadership advocacy and lived-experience credibility facilitated implementation, while limited staffing capacity constrained delivery. MHGs were more accessible when embedded within visible campus infrastructure aligned with student success priorities. In addition, domain level facilitators included the credibility and perceived effectiveness of MHGs (Innovation), strong institutional support from high-level leaders (Individuals), donor engagement and established recovery spaces that fostered peer connections (Inner Setting), and alignment of CRPs with broader university missions related to student retention and well-being (Outer Setting). Barriers included concerns about the accessibility and inclusivity of traditional 12-Step models (Innovation), administrative misalignment with development offices (Inner Setting), and limited institutional awareness and funding instability (Outer Setting).

conclusionsImplementation strategies to enhance MHG adoption in CRPs include diversifying MHG offerings, integrating CRPs into university financial structures, strengthening external treatment and recovery housing partnerships, and fostering inclusive recovery environments. Addressing these barriers could enhance accessibility and sustainability of MHGs, ultimately improving recovery support for college students with substance use disorders.

Indexed as

Self-Help GroupsStudent Health ServicesSubstance-Related DisordersHumansImplementation ScienceInterviews as TopicQualitative ResearchUnited StatesUniversitiesAddiction recoveryCollegiate recovery programsConsolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)Higher educationImplementation scienceMutual-help groups

Identifiers

PMID42316160
PMCPMC13528137

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.