What constitutes a women's recovery from addiction? Examining lived experiences and recovery capital of women from diverse European backgrounds (2025)

The majority of research on addiction recovery has been based on male samples using traditional, structured methods and interviews. This study brings the voices of women from diverse European countries to bring authentic lived experience voices into the research and showcase their perspectives on what constitutes their recovery journey and how these sources are intertwined. This study employs the Photovoice method as a participatory, arts-based approach to examine the recovery experiences of 17 women from diverse backgrounds in the UK, Sweden, and the Balkans, engaging participants throughout the research process. By engaging women with histories of substance addiction in discussing their photographs and linked narratives, we identified 11 themes that illuminate recovery complexities. Our findings highlight the interplay between personal, social, and community recovery capital, revealing the significant influence of gender-specific challenges and stigma. The collaborative nature of this study generated lived experience insights into recovery capital and enhanced visibility and participation, underscoring the method's potential to capture nuanced recovery dynamics. Recognizing that recovery is not a straightforward process and often involves ongoing barriers, the study adds diverse women's perspectives to the literature, emphasizing the importance of developing effective gendered and culturally-sensitive approaches to support systems. [Author's abstract]