‘Let Others Love You Back to Health’: the Role of Performance-based Support Groups for People in Recovery

Peer support groups have become widely utilized among those in recovery from problematic substance use. Yet, these peer-based programs vary and research examining their effectiveness has yielded mixed results. Relatively less is known about the impacts of arts-based peer recovery programs. Some research suggests that theatre may offer a powerful tool to address biopsychosocial changes among individuals in recovery. To explore the role of arts-based peer support programs, we draw on qualitative interviews with performers in two arts-based recovery programs. Our findings suggest that arts-based peer recovery programs may aid individuals in recovery in four main ways. Performing allowed participants to build relationships with others in recovery, channel experiences creatively while challenging stigma, foster confidence and recovery-identity formation, aiding participants in working through emotional impacts of prior substance use. These findings support emerging scholarship examining the role of performance in challenging stereotypes about substance use to aid those in recovery.