New Study Reveals Significant Improvements in Recovery Assessment Scores of 20,000 Patients at Discovery Behavioral Health

LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Behavioral Health, Inc. (DBH) announced a newly published study, Changes in Recovery Assessment Scale Scores During a Treatment Episode Among Patients in a Large Behavioral Health Care System, which provides insights into the progress of more than 20,000 Discovery patients who received treatment between 2021 - 2022. The study, published in Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association highlights key findings on how Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) scores evolve over the course of treatment, offering a deeper understanding of patient recovery trajectories.

Conducted by a team of researchers from DBH and Brigham and Women's Hospital, the study analyzed data from a large behavioral health care system to assess changes in RAS scores. The Recovery Assessment Scale is a widely used tool for measuring patient perceptions of their own recovery, making this research particularly relevant for clinicians, policymakers, and behavioral health professionals seeking to improve treatment outcomes.

The study revealed that substantial improvements in recovery were evident during treatment, especially for patients with lower RAS scores at admission. Among 20,770 patients (contributing 27,002 treatment episodes) receiving treatment at DBH in the 2021–2022 period, 15,059 patients (representing 18,147 episodes) had RAS and PHQ-9 scores recorded at admission, 9,441 of whom (representing 10,496 treatment episodes) had an RAS score recorded also at discharge were included the cohort. The findings underscore the importance of research into enhanced personalized treatment approaches to optimize recovery.

Matt Ruble, MD, Discovery's Chief Medical Officer says, "Precision psychiatry and precise treatments demand a measurement tool that assesses functionality and that tracks recovery. The RAS allows for this and measures areas that make a holistic and real-life difference for people: self-empowerment, hope, symptom regulation, goal setting, support utilization and progress."

Loreen Straub, M.D., M.S , Investigator in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School states, "Our research underscores the impact of measurement-based care in mental health treatment. By analyzing real-world data from a large behavioral health system, we found that structured recovery assessments can help track meaningful progress, particularly for those facing the greatest challenges. These findings support the need for continued research into personalized treatment strategies that optimize recovery outcomes for all patients."

Philip S. Wang, M.D., Dr. P.H., Director of the Center for Learning Health Systems at Brigham and Women's Hospital states, "For too long, recovery has been considered beyond the reach of people burdened by mental disorders, especially for those suffering from the most serious and impairing forms of mental illness. The findings from this study shed important new light on how routine measurement-based care in a large national behavioral health system can help people with mental illness achieve recovery—including those with the most severe conditions. We hope that our research encourages other systems to adopt measurement-based care and raises expectations that patients throughout the U.S. can similarly achieve recovery."

To request an interview with the study's authors, contact [email protected] 

About Discovery Behavioral Health

Everyone deserves a happy, rewarding life. That is why Discovery Behavioral Health makes measurement-based, outcome-driven healthcare accessible and affordable. With a full continuum of care, we can offer the right treatment at the right time for those struggling with mental health, substance use or eating disorders. We continue to expand access to care by being in network with 100 payers and other managed care organizations and through our growing network of treatment centers nationwide. Through ongoing collaboration with world renowned clinical research partners, we continue to amass outcomes that will inform and transform the trajectory of the behavioral health industry.

Contact: Sandra Sellani, SVP, Marketing & Public Relations, [email protected] 

SOURCE Discovery Behavioral Health