Assessment of wellness and nutrition in residential alcohol and drug abuse treatment

Drug and alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease that often co-occurs with physical and mental health problems. The nutrition of people with substance use problems is often compromised. Research shows aspects of wellness and nutrition to be protective for physical and mental health; yet, it is not known if programs are integrating this information into treatment.;This study inquired as to what residential substance abuse treatment programs were doing to integrate wellness and specifically nutrition into treatment and how these initiatives are adopted. The study examined the type and frequency of wellness activities and specific foods in relation to promoting health, guided by Rogers' theory on the adoption of innovations. A survey was developed and sent to 67 licensed adult residential treatment programs in Massachusetts; 52 directors agreed participate (78% response rate). In-depth interviews were done with 10 directors. Logistic regression was used to examine relationships between theory-driven independent variables and wellness activities and nutrition that promotes health.;Overall, 44% of programs offer wellness activities frequently enough to promote health, 53% offer plant-based foods frequently enough to promote health and less than 10% offer processed foods infrequently enough to be considered promoting health. Over 67% of programs report offering fruit more than once a day, yet less than 30% report the same for dark green leafy vegetables. Over 84% of programs offer access to medical appointments or disease management very regularly or always. Less than half the programs offered exercise as frequently.;Program directors with a Master's degree or higher was predictive of higher wellness activities. Women's programs and TC's were more likely than men-only and other types of programs to offer plant-based foods frequently enough to promote health. Directors with additional wellness/nutrition training were associated with offering lower frequencies of processed foods.;Nutrition and wellness initiatives can increase protective factors that may positively affect the process of recovery. In light of the existing research and the relevance to mental health, policies are needed that require integrating wellness activities and increasing the quality of nutrition within programs.