Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the US
In developing public resources for the Networks Enhancing Addiction Recovery – Forum Activity Roadmap (NEAR-FAR), we completed a systematic observational study of English-language online forums related to recovery from alcohol or other drug addiction in late 2021. Among 207 identified forums, the ma...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Internet Interventions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782924000010 |
| _version_ | 1797277346902835200 |
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| author | Jason B. Colditz Lily H. Hsiao Brandon G. Bergman David W. Best Eric G. Hulsey Jaime E. Sidani Bruce L. Rollman Kevin L. Kraemer |
| author_facet | Jason B. Colditz Lily H. Hsiao Brandon G. Bergman David W. Best Eric G. Hulsey Jaime E. Sidani Bruce L. Rollman Kevin L. Kraemer |
| author_sort | Jason B. Colditz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In developing public resources for the Networks Enhancing Addiction Recovery – Forum Activity Roadmap (NEAR-FAR), we completed a systematic observational study of English-language online forums related to recovery from alcohol or other drug addiction in late 2021. 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. 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. Among 148 forums with any observed user activity, the median time between unique user engagements was 27 days (inter-quartile range: 2–74). Among 98 forums with past-month posting activity, we found a median of <10 posts per week (inter-quartile range: 1–78). 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:46:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45a08153ee8f44599785b0f2495b71b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2214-7829 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:46:20Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Internet Interventions |
| spelling | doaj.art-45a08153ee8f44599785b0f2495b71b52024-03-05T04:29:48ZengElsevierInternet Interventions2214-78292024-03-0135100708Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the USJason B. Colditz0Lily H. Hsiao1Brandon G. Bergman2David W. Best3Eric G. Hulsey4Jaime E. Sidani5Bruce L. Rollman6Kevin L. Kraemer7Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 230 McKee Place #600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States; Corresponding author.Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 230 McKee Place #600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United StatesRecovery Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, & Harvard Medical School, 151 Merrimac Street, 4th Fl., Boston, MA 02114, United StatesCentre for Addiction Recovery Research (CARR), Leeds Trinity University, Trinity Building, Brownberrie Road, Leeds LS18 5SD, Yorkshire, UKDepartment of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United StatesDepartment of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, United StatesDivision of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 230 McKee Place #600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United StatesDivision of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 230 McKee Place #600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United StatesIn developing public resources for the Networks Enhancing Addiction Recovery – Forum Activity Roadmap (NEAR-FAR), we completed a systematic observational study of English-language online forums related to recovery from alcohol or other drug addiction in late 2021. 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. 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. Among 148 forums with any observed user activity, the median time between unique user engagements was 27 days (inter-quartile range: 2–74). Among 98 forums with past-month posting activity, we found a median of <10 posts per week (inter-quartile range: 1–78). 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782924000010Substance useAlcohol useAddiction recoveryOnlineForumSocial media |
| spellingShingle | Jason B. Colditz Lily H. Hsiao Brandon G. Bergman David W. Best Eric G. Hulsey Jaime E. Sidani Bruce L. Rollman Kevin L. Kraemer Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the US Internet Interventions Substance use Alcohol use Addiction recovery Online Forum Social media |
| title | Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the US |
| title_full | Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the US |
| title_fullStr | Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the US |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the US |
| title_short | Characteristics and engagement among English-language online forums for addiction recovery available in the US |
| title_sort | characteristics and engagement among english language online forums for addiction recovery available in the us |
| topic | Substance use Alcohol use Addiction recovery Online Forum Social media |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782924000010 |
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