Recovery colleges represent a transformative model of mental health service delivery that seeks to dismantle traditional barriers by creating equitable, empowering learning environments that are accessible to all. However, while inclusivity and responsiveness to diversity are guiding values of recovery colleges, there remains limited understanding of how they are meaningfully implemented in practice. This scoping review aims to explore how recovery colleges enhance inclusivity and respond to diversity in their development, delivery, and evaluation.
Following Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) scoping review framework, eight databases were searched to identify relevant peer-reviewed, English-language articles with no limitation on publication date. Of 399 articles screened, 26 articles met the inclusion criteria, comprising qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies conducted across six countries.
Recovery colleges use various strategies to reduce barriers to access, including curriculum adaptation, flexible scheduling, transport assistance, and personalised learning supports. In spite of these efforts, many students continue to face significant obstacles, such as financial hardship, health-related challenges, insecure housing, and limited digital access. While online and hybrid models introduced during COVID-19 increased access for some, they simultaneously risked excluding individuals without adequate digital resources.
This review highlights the need for more consistent equity-focused practices within recovery colleges. Greater emphasis on community partnerships, cultural responsiveness and the removal of structural barriers is essential to ensuring that recovery colleges fulfill their mission of inclusivity.
