Research Hub
Digesting the Evidence
Fifteen years of recovery research — synthesised, interrogated and made useful. Scotland’s most comprehensive recovery evidence review, first published in 2010 and substantially updated in 2025.
Digesting the Evidence 2010–2025
Scotland's definitive recovery evidence review
When Digesting the Evidence was first published in 2010, it brought together the best available evidence on recovery for the first time in a Scottish context. The 2025 edition builds on that foundation — covering fifteen years of research, examining what has changed, what we now know and what Scotland’s recovery sector needs to understand to shape better policy and practice.
The review covers nine substantive chapters across the full landscape of recovery research — from prevalence and pathways to residential rehabilitation, peer support, recovery communities, sub-populations and whole-system approaches. It also draws on the perspectives of ten of the world’s leading recovery researchers, invited to share what they consider the most significant developments in the field since 2010.
The report is free to download. It is intended for practitioners, policymakers, commissioners and anyone with a stake in making recovery more visible, more valued and better supported across Scotland.
The evidence meets Scotland's reality
Chapter 5 of Digesting the Evidence reviews the international research on LEROs and community recovery innovations. The Communities Research is what that looks like in Scotland right now — the first national baseline picture of 41 communities, 398 volunteers and 2,174 people supported every single week.
Additional Resources and Publications
Digesting the evidence - Powerpoint presentation
Digesting the evidence - Executive Summary References
Digesting the evidence 2010
