Call for papers: Special issue on “Reducing Addiction-Related Harms to Improve Health and Promote Recovery among Populations with Substance Use or Other Addictive Behaviors”

Manuscript submissions due: July 1, 2027

• Mariel Bello, PhD
• Victoria Votaw, PhD

This special issue will assemble papers that broaden definitions of recovery and success beyond abstinence, expanding and advancing our understanding of approaches to improving health and well-being among people with substance use or other addictive behaviors. Historically, the field of addiction science has emphasized abstinence as a primary outcome, which remains an important clinical goal. However, focusing exclusively on abstinence may miss clinically beneficial outcomes of reduced engagement in substance use or other addictive behaviors, such as improvements in quality of life, mood, and/or physical health, as well as overlook individual variability in recovery pathways. Patients themselves often report goals that extend beyond abstinence (e.g., reducing use, improving quality of life, meeting basic needs), underscoring the need for patient-centered outcomes reflecting individualized recovery pathways. Greater understanding of protective factors against substance-related harms is also needed.

We especially welcome submissions focused on measuring and characterizing non-abstinence goals and outcomes during addiction treatment such as:

• Evaluating treatment approaches (e.g., psychosocial and psychopharmacological) that emphasize reductions in addictive behaviors or improved functioning.
• Improving health and functioning among populations disproportionately impacted by addiction-related harms.
• Identifying protective factors (individual, social, contextual) against addiction-related harms among both treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking populations.

Topics may be approached through original research on psychometric evaluations, clinical trials, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and longitudinal observational research, among other methods. We are also interested in pre-clinical and human laboratory research informing these questions; for example, by evaluating the impact of novel pharmacotherapies on relevant outcomes beyond substance use. We additionally welcome perspectives on ethical considerations in research that broaden definitions of recovery and success, as well as

This special issue aims to collate new and emerging research from a myriad of perspectives. We welcome all papers addressing whole-person recovery and improving health in persons with substance use or other addictive behaviors, and also outline five specific areas of interest:

1. Validating and expanding addiction science beyond “abstinence”: Non-abstinence and non-consumption outcomes as indicators of recovery and treatment success.

Of particular interest are submissions that examine how recovery and treatment success can be conceptualized and measured beyond abstinence. Relevant topics may include:

• Development and validation of measures assessing reductions in substance use or other addictive behaviors.
• Evaluation of clinically-meaningful thresholds for reduced use, frequency, intensity, or severity of substance use or other addictive behaviors.
• Examination of non-consumption outcomes, including quality of life, physical and mental health, social functioning, occupational functioning, and meeting one’s basic needs.
• Research investigating how changes in substance use or other addictive behaviors translate into improvements in physical and mental health, functioning, or longer-term recovery outcomes.
• Evaluating pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions that reduce substance use, craving/withdrawal, or other addiction-related harms without necessarily prompting abstinence.

We welcome submissions using psychometric, longitudinal, experimental, clinical, and other methodological approaches that advance the measurement and interpretation of recovery-related outcomes beyond abstinence.

2. Broadening definitions of whole-person recovery to behavioral addictions and other addictive behaviors.

We welcome submissions exploring how broader definitions of recovery and treatment success may apply to behavioral addictions and other addictive behaviors. Topics may include:

• Gambling disorder and problematic gambling
• Technology-related addictive behaviors (e.g., problematic gaming, cellphone dependence)
• Reductions in the frequency, intensity, severity, or consequences of behavioral addictions or other addictive behaviors.
• Patient-centered outcomes or clinically meaningful indicators of improvement (e.g., functioning, quality of life) associated with changes in behavioral outcomes or other addictive behaviors.
• Discussions of the similarities and differences in the recovery process across substance use-related disorders and behavioral addictions.

3. Reducing addiction-related harms among populations disproportionately affected by substance use and related consequences.

Submissions examining recovery, reduced harm, and protective factors (e.g., resilience) among populations disproportionately burdened by substance use are strongly encouraged.

• Social, structural, economic, and environmental factors that shape addiction-related harms and recovery.
• Novel approaches for improving health and functioning among populations facing accessibility and/or engagement barriers to substance use treatment.
• Individual, interpersonal, community, and structural protective factors (e.g., resilience, community cohesion, social support) that promote recovery or mitigate addiction-related harms.
• Intervention approaches and recovery outcomes for individuals who may not be currently seeking treatment or seeking abstinence.
• Evaluation of tailored interventions that address the needs and targpriorities of populations disproportionately impacted by substance use and related harms.

4. Incorporating lived experiences and community perspectives into definitions of recovery, treatment success, and harm reduction.

Of particular interest are qualitative, mixed-methods, and community-engaged research that center the perspectives of people with lived experience of substance use and other addictive behaviors. We especially welcome submissions that include perspectives from people with lived experience, as well as studies that directly inform patient-centered approaches to addiction science and treatment.

• Discussions of how individuals with lived experience define recovery, treatment goals and success, and meaningful improvement.
• Patient-related preferences regarding abstinence, reduction, moderation, and other treatment goals.
• Community-engaged and participatory approaches to developing measures, interventions, and research priorities.
• Concordance or discordance between researcher-, clinician-, regulatory-, and patient-defined indicators of recovery and treatment success.
• Ethical considerations for how recovery, treatment success, and reduction in addiction-related harms are defined and measured.

Researchers in this area may submit articles to Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology for consideration in this special issue. Manuscripts should be submitted through the APA Online Submission Portal, with a cover letter indicating that the manuscript is intended for the special issue on “Reducing Addiction-Related Harms to Improve Health and Promote Recovery among Populations with Substance Use or Other Addictive Behaviors.” All submissions will undergo standard peer review. Manuscripts received no later than July 1, 2027, will be considered for inclusion. Authors are strongly encouraged to contact the guest editors in advance with proposed titles and abstracts.

Questions or inquiries about the special issue can be directed to the Guest Editors: Mariel S. Bello, PhD and Victoria R. Votaw, PhD or to the Associate Editor, Jin H. Yoon, PhD and the Editor-in-Chief, Kelly E. Dunn, PhD.