"In the past, researchers studying peoples' experiences with addiction relied mostly on clinical observations and self-reported surveys. But only about 5% of people diagnosed with a substance use disorder seek formal treatment. They are only a small sliver of the population who have a substance use disorder-and until recently, there has been no straightforward way to capture the experiences of the other 95%."
"Today, millions of people openly discuss their experiences with drugs online, creating a vast collection of raw narratives about drug use. As a doctoral student in information science with a background in public health, I use this material to better understand how people who use drugs describe their lives and make sense of their experiences, especially when it comes to stigma."
"The vast majority of people diagnosed with a substance use disorder address the issue informally-seeking support from their community, friends, or family, self-medicating or doing nothing at all. But some choose to post about their drug use in dedicated online communities, such as group forums, often with a level of candor that would be difficult to capture in clinical interviews. Their social media posts offer a window into real-time, unscripted conversations about substance use."
Social media posts provide unprecedented insights into substance use and addiction. Researchers previously relied on clinical observations and self-reported surveys, capturing only a small fraction of people with substance use disorders because about 5% seek formal treatment. Millions of people now share raw narratives online, offering candid, real-time accounts and informal support networks. Dedicated communities like Reddit host over 150 substance-use communities. Advances in artificial intelligence enable large-scale analysis of these conversations, revealing stigma, lived experiences, and pathways to recovery beyond clinical settings. The data help identify barriers to treatment and inform targeted public health interventions.
Read at Fast Company
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