Understanding the impacts of rehab centres on communities

What did we do?

This Evidence Snapshot rapid review addressed the question; “What are the community impacts of residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation services?”

Screening of 544 citations yielded 10 included studies, seven of which were from the US and two from Australia.  No quality appraisal was undertaken. The included studies were diverse with respect to setting, study design, included populations and outcomes.

What did we find?

Whilst moderate quality evidence exists supporting in support of residential rehabilitation for alcohol and other drug dependence, disapproving responses are often observed in communities where such facilities are planned or established.  

A consistent theme across five studies examining community perceptions and impact was that initial concerns around the potential impacts of drug treatment facilities, including residential rehabilitation, were largely unfounded or did not materialise in the long term.

Studies also reported a number of positive impacts on communities as reflected by participation in events at community rehabilitation centres, residents making contributions to communities through volunteering, and longer-term employment and associated economic impacts stemming from successful reintegration into the community following rehabilitation.

Three studies examining impacts on property values reported mixed findings, while a large study examining crime rates showed that drug treatment centres had similar crime rates to areas around liquor stores and lower rates than near corner and convenience stores.

What’s next?

The review findings suggest initial community concerns are not based on lived experiences of residential rehabilitation in their area and appear to diminish once the centres are established. This is consistent with other research that social contact is effective in reducing stigma.

While education is a proven intervention for reducing stigma, it needs to be delivered thoughtfully; large town-hall style forums can give a platform to strong opponents, whereas visits to neighbours and / or invitations to smaller groups to visit rehabilitation centres may be more effective.

There are a number of gaps in the evidence - including a dearth of studies, a lack of exploration of community knowledge and potential under-measurement of complex outcomes such as community attitudes and sentiment.  These gaps should be borne in mind when interpreting review findings, and may be the basis for further research.

‍