TikTok could help address substance use disorders related to alcohol, tobacco or cannabis. While there are many treatments for substance abuse that have been shown to be effective, says Alex M. Russell of the University of Arkansas . However, it has been shown that help from other sources is also important and effective. It can be done in person or digitally. The rise of social media is increasingly influencing health behavior.
Innovative means of therapy
“Over 20 million Americans suffered from a substance use disorder last year,” Russell said. But only a few receive treatment. It is therefore necessary to promote innovative methods that positively influence these people, such as social media. The researcher wanted to know exactly whether they were able to do this or were already doing it.
“In particular, we were interested in whether an increasingly popular social media platform such as TikTok could be an innovative means to positively influence health behaviors related to recovery from substance use disorders.”
He and his team identified 20 keywords associated with substance use disorders and searched TikTok using those terms. They narrowed it down to hashtags like “addiction,” “recovery,” and “sober” and used them to review the top 100 most popular videos. The conclusion is that recovery is most commonly involved in progression from a substance use disorder.
Another common theme was sharing recovery milestones. The creators of the TikTok videos saw social support as an important factor in this process. A majority of the videos showed people choosing new activities such as exercise as an alternative to substance use. A small portion cited topics such as spirituality and faith as tools for recovery.
Whether these videos actually have a positive influence remains an open question.
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Source: press release
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