Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
We completed a systematic observational study of English-language online forums related to recovery from alcohol or other drug addiction in late 2021.
Findings/Key points
Commonly used social media platforms such as Reddit, Facebook, or Quora offered easily accessible venues for individuals seeking online support related to a variety of substances. Forums were related to established recovery programs such as 12-step and SMART Recovery as well as other nonprofit and for-profit recovery programs, and to community forums without formal recovery programming. This study compares three metrics of observed forum activity (posts per week, responses per post, time between unique user engagements) and operationalizes forum characteristics that may potentiate opportunities for enhanced engagement and social support in addiction recovery.
Design/methods
Among 207 identified forums, the majority were classified as “general addiction” or alcohol-focused, though classifications related to other substances were common on websites hosting multiple forums.
