What Should I Do?: Information and Support Needs Relating to Substance Use on Reddit

Abstract

Background: Due to the stigma of substance use, individuals often turn to online forums like Reddit for informational and other types of support. While information is a primary unmet need for people who use substances, little research has examined the nature of these needs. This study aimed to identify and characterize the informational and other support needs expressed in Reddit posts related to substance use.

Methods: We constructed a dataset of Reddit posts from January 2013 to December 2019, sampling these to include at least one of three substances (alcohol, cannabis, and opioids). We conducted qualitative content analysis to identify the needs expressed by post authors. Two researchers iteratively the data, resolving disagreements through discussion.

Results: We examined 189 posts and identified four categories of themes: informational, emotional, coping, and contextual factors. Salient informational needs included quitting approaches and strategies, temporal information needs, barriers in quitting, and communication challenges. Regarding emotional needs, users sought validation and affirmation of progress from others. Additionally, users leveraged the platform to build accountability, regulate emotions in the moment, and share experiences. Contextual factors such as interpersonal challenges, stigma, and low self-worth were also prominent.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the diverse needs of individuals with substance use, including informational and emotional support, coping, and contextual factors. Our main contributions include presenting a typology of contextual dimensions of information needs relating to substance use, highlighting opportunities to improve the dissemination of relevant and personalized information in treatment, education, and prevention programs, and presenting implications for practice.

Keywords: Substance use; contextual factors; information needs; recovery; social media; support.