Facilitating peer support for recovery from substance use disorders

Abstract

Twelve-step fellowships is an effective maintenance program for millions of people trying to recover from substance use disorders. Attending face-to-face and online twelve-step meetings is considered to play a vital role for exchanging support and for encouraging continued abstinence from addiction. Currently, there are very few technologies that effectively support this group in exchanging peer support through synchronous communication. I conducted a questionnaire and an interview study to better understand the challenges and needs of this group. This work discusses some design opportunities and ongoing work to facilitate peer support for recovery from substance use disorders.