BackgroundThe use of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing in many areas of healthcare, including mental healthcare. The automated nature of such technologies has the potential to be developed to work with large numbers of people.... more
BackgroundThe use of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing in many areas of healthcare, including mental healthcare. The automated nature of such technologies has the potential to be developed to work with large numbers of people. This paper examines the way that student therapists experience using an interactive text‐based machine client as a training tool.MethodologyChatbot technology has been used to develop an emotionally responsive interactive client (ERIC). This introduces individuals to concepts of person‐centred therapy (empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard) by using a series of pre‐programmed scenarios. Twenty‐eight student therapists evaluated ERIC's potential as a learning tool. Individuals were recruited from one university from a postgraduate and an undergraduate counselling programme.FindingsFeedback was generally positive, with all reporting that they enjoyed engaging with ERIC as a learning method. ERIC helped individuals consider their unde...
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Purpose The purpose of this study is to see if the affirmative results seen in the pilot study of the positive addiction recovery therapy (PART) programme are replicable and durable given a new cohort of participants. PART is a programme... more
Purpose The purpose of this study is to see if the affirmative results seen in the pilot study of the positive addiction recovery therapy (PART) programme are replicable and durable given a new cohort of participants. PART is a programme of work designed to improve the recovery and well-being of people in early addiction recovery. Its foundation is in the G-CHIME (growth, connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment) model of addiction recovery. It also uses the values in action character strengths and includes a set of recovery protection techniques. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a mixed method experimental design, incorporating direct replication and a follow-up study. Measures for recovery capital, well-being and level of flourishing are used to collect pre-, post- and one-month follow-up data from participants. The replication data analysis uses the non-parametric Wilcoxon test, and the follow-up analysis uses the Friedman test with pairwise compa...
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine recovery through lived experience. It is part of a series that explores candid accounts of addiction and recovery to identify the important components in the recovery process.... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine recovery through lived experience. It is part of a series that explores candid accounts of addiction and recovery to identify the important components in the recovery process. Design/methodology/approach The G-CHIME model comprises six elements important to addiction recovery (Growth, Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning in life and Empowerment). It provides a standard against which to consider addiction recovery, having been used in this series, as well as in the design of interventions that improve well-being and strengthen recovery. In this paper, a first-hand account is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account. Narrative analysis is used to explore the account and interview through the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectively explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each component in the model is appare...
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The purpose of this study is to explore what belonging to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) means to its international membership. The aim is to gain a collective view of the opinions held by those accessing the services offered by AA globally.... more
The purpose of this study is to explore what belonging to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) means to its international membership. The aim is to gain a collective view of the opinions held by those accessing the services offered by AA globally. This paper focuses on the study of AA entirely from the perspective of its members, without being attentive to the AA approach to recovery, or the 12-step programme it advocates. An online survey was distributed as a link on Facebook groups accessed by members of AA. Responses (N=182) were received from members accessing AA services in 11 different countries. These were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings convey a positive message for what belonging to AA means, demonstrating that members accomplish more than sobriety and sustained abstinence. They develop a positive outlook, feel connected and accepted into a unique community, that offers a platform for achieving personal and spiritual growth.
Research Interests: Social Work and GROUPWORK
Purpose Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are promising alternatives to traditional face-to-face psychological interventions to improve psychological outcomes in various chronic health conditions. However, their efficacy among... more
Purpose Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are promising alternatives to traditional face-to-face psychological interventions to improve psychological outcomes in various chronic health conditions. However, their efficacy among people with diabetes is yet to be established. Therefore, this narrative review aims to identify the importance and need for evidence-based research on DMHIs targeting the psychological outcomes in people with diabetes. Design/methodology/approach Using a narrative review approach, this study highlights the technological advancements in diabetes health care and identifies a need for developing DMHIs for people with diabetes. Findings DMHIs are promising for improving psychological outcomes in people with diabetes. However, there is a need for further rigorous, controlled and high-quality diabetes-focused studies, to make firm conclusions on the effectiveness and appropriateness of DMHIs for patients with diabetes. This review also suggests that DMHIs...
Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the Values in Action (VIA) character strengths profile of people in addiction recovery, to identify which strengths are meaningfully represented in this population. This was compared with... more
Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the Values in Action (VIA) character strengths profile of people in addiction recovery, to identify which strengths are meaningfully represented in this population. This was compared with the generalised profile of a normative population to identify the differentiating features. Reasons for the profile variance and the significance this has for addiction recovery have also been explored. Design/methodology/approach An independent group design was adopted using purposive sampling. This saw participants (n = 100) complete the VIA Inventory of Strengths-P assessment to establish a character strengths profile for people in addiction recovery. To identify the differences in this profile, a mean score and rank order comparison was conducted, using data taken from a normative population. Additional exploratory analysis was conducted to establish if there were any significant differences in the character strength profile of males and females. ...
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Purpose The positive addiction recovery website (https://positiveaddictionrecovery.com) has been created following a successful pilot study of a programme of work known as positive addiction recovery therapy (PART). The aim of the website... more
Purpose The positive addiction recovery website (https://positiveaddictionrecovery.com) has been created following a successful pilot study of a programme of work known as positive addiction recovery therapy (PART). The aim of the website is to disseminate PART to an online audience, extending its reach to a larger population. The purpose of this study is to explain the process of creating this online resource and to conduct a user evaluation to understand how well received the website is likely to be to its target audience. Design/methodology/approach An implementation framework cognisant of positive computing, positive technology, contemporary understanding of human–computer interaction and knowledge acquired from the delivery of eHealth interventions from the past decade was used to create the website. To understand user opinion of the resultant website, data were collected using the mobile application ratings scale user version. Findings By adopting a tailored implementation fra...
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine recovery through lived experience. It is part of a series that explores candid accounts of addiction and recovery to identify important components in the recovery process.... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine recovery through lived experience. It is part of a series that explores candid accounts of addiction and recovery to identify important components in the recovery process. Design/methodology/approach The G-CHIME model comprises six elements important to addiction recovery (growth, connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment). It provides a standard to against which to consider addiction recovery, having been used in this series, as well as in the design of interventions that improve well-being and strengthen recovery. In this paper, a first-hand account is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account. Narrative analysis is used to explore the account and interview through the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectively explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each component in the model is apparen...
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Purpose This purpose of this paper is to contribute to a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components in the recovery process are considered, along with the change and growth needed... more
Purpose This purpose of this paper is to contribute to a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components in the recovery process are considered, along with the change and growth needed to support the transition from addiction to recovery. Design/methodology/approach The connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment (CHIME) framework comprises five elements important to recovery. CHIME provides a standard to qualitatively study recovery. As a model, it has been extended to include growth (G-CHIME), an element that is important for sustained addiction recovery. In this paper a first-hand account of addiction recovery is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account that is based on the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectually explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each element in the model is...
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Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new programme of work designed to improve the recovery and well-being of people in early addiction recovery. The programme, known as positive addiction recovery therapy (PART), is... more
Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new programme of work designed to improve the recovery and well-being of people in early addiction recovery. The programme, known as positive addiction recovery therapy (PART), is attentive to the recovery process through the G-CHIME (growth, connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment) model of addiction recovery. It also uses the values in action character strengths and includes a set of relapse prevention techniques. Design/methodology/approach An experimental design using repeated measures has been adopted. Measures for recovery capital, well-being and level of flourishing were selected and pre- and post-data collected. Primary data analysis was conducted using the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Participants (n = 30) were required to be in early addiction recovery, classified as having been abstinent for between three and six months. Findings The results showed a statistically significant improvemen...
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components in the recovery process are considered, along with the change and growth needed... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components in the recovery process are considered, along with the change and growth needed to support the transition from addiction to recovery. Design/methodology/approach The connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment (CHIME) framework comprises five elements important to recovery. CHIME provides a standard to qualitatively study recovery. As a model, it has been extended to include growth-CHIME (G-CHIME), an element that is important for sustained addiction recovery. In this paper, a first-hand account of addiction recovery is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account that is based on the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectually explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each element in the mo...
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Chatbots are an untapped opportunity for helping people in recovery
The impact of COVID-19 has shown that mutual aid groups like AA may be even more beneficial than we realised, say Lisa Ogilvie and Jerome Carson
Change is always possible, say Lisa Ogilvie and Jerome Carson, as they share their own journeys to recovery
Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how the values in action (VIA) character strengths model can be applied as a resource to support people in addiction recovery. The purpose of this is to appreciate the positive outcomes... more
Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how the values in action (VIA) character strengths model can be applied as a resource to support people in addiction recovery. The purpose of this is to appreciate the positive outcomes seen in other areas of research, applied to addiction recovery. To achieve this, a character strengths intervention has been designed and delivered as a case study. The objective of the intervention is to identify some of the strengths described by an individual in their account of recovery, ascertain their signature strengths through validated assessment and, based on the exploration of this information, support the individual in a reflective exercise to consider how their character strengths have positively affected their recovery to date and the effect this new knowledge could have on their ongoing recovery. Design/methodology/approach The VIA character strengths model has identified 24 positive qualities that are present in the human condition. ...
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Purpose This paper aims to explore the transition from addiction to recovery. It is the second in a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components of recovery are considered, along... more
Purpose This paper aims to explore the transition from addiction to recovery. It is the second in a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components of recovery are considered, along with the change and growth needed to support the transition. Design/methodology/approach The CHIME framework comprises five elements important to recovery (Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning and Empowerment). It provides a standard to qualitatively study mental health recovery, having also been applied to addiction recovery. In this paper, an element for Growth is included in the model (G-CHIME), to consider both recovery, and sustained recovery. A first-hand account of addiction recovery is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account. This is structured on the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectually explained using the G-CHIME model. Th...
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Purpose This paper aims to explore the transition from addiction to recovery. It is the third in a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components of recovery are considered, along with... more
Purpose This paper aims to explore the transition from addiction to recovery. It is the third in a series of recovery stories that examine candid accounts of addiction and recovery. Shared components of recovery are considered, along with the change and growth needed to support the transition. Design/methodology/approach The connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment (CHIME) framework comprises five elements important to recovery (connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment). It provides a standard to qualitatively study mental health recovery, having also been applied to addiction recovery. In this paper, an element for growth is included in the model (G-CHIME), to consider both recovery and sustained recovery. A first-hand account of addiction recovery is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account. This is structured on the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkabl...
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ABSTRACT Purpose This paper proposes a foundation on which to consider post-traumatic growth (PTG) and addiction recovery. It considers addiction as a traumatic experience with a consequential impact on mental health that is a primer for... more
ABSTRACT Purpose This paper proposes a foundation on which to consider post-traumatic growth (PTG) and addiction recovery. It considers addiction as a traumatic experience with a consequential impact on mental health that is a primer for PTG. It demonstrates the similarity of a prominent change model used in the field of addiction recovery with PTG theory, offering the Extended Transformational Model, a PTG life cycle model, as an output. Research limitations This research considers previous positive psychology (PP) work, specifically surrounding PTG and addiction recovery. As a next step, further investigation is necessary to demonstrate the efficacy of the model comparison so it can mature into one that in application can integrate PTG theory with addiction treatment services as a recognized and effective pathway to recovery. Originality/value While this is a first attempt at such a model comparison, demonstrating the similarity between PTG and addiction recovery through a life cycle model, offers the opportunity to develop effective interventions, in addition to building confidence in a recognized discipline of PTG in addiction recovery.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the accomplishments of those who realise addiction recovery. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first in a series of recovery stories, where candid accounts of addiction and... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the accomplishments of those who realise addiction recovery. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first in a series of recovery stories, where candid accounts of addiction and recovery are examined. In doing so, shared components of recovery are considered, along with the change and growth necessary to facilitate it. Design/methodology/approach The CHIME (Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning and Empowerment) framework comprises five elements important to recovery. It provides a standard to qualitatively study mental health recovery, having also been applied to addiction recovery. In this paper, an additional element for Growth has been introduced to the model (G-CHIME), to consider both recovery and sustained recovery. A first-hand account of addiction recovery is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account. This is structured on the G-CHIME model. Findings This paper shows that s...
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Chatbots are programmed conversational agents that emulate communication systematically using natural language processing. They can be programmed to assume a range of roles where regular human interaction occurs. Within mental health... more
Chatbots are programmed conversational agents that emulate communication systematically using natural language processing. They can be programmed to assume a range of roles where regular human interaction occurs. Within mental health services, they are not as well represented as in other areas of healthcare, with research suggesting that uptake has been hindered by concerns over the accuracy of the information they provide, undeveloped technology, lack of adherence to an ethical framework, and the unconvincing portrayal of human authenticity. Technological improvements have addressed some of these concerns, and as the resultant solution choice increases, the potential for chatbots within mental health is receiving greater attention. In this chapter, two novel uses for chatbots are showcased. Foxbot, a recovery friend, accessible at the point of need to help mitigate some of the common risk factors to sustaining addiction recovery; and ERIC, a counselling client who allows trainee co...
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BACKGROUND The use of chatbots in healthcare is an area of study receiving increased academic interest. As the knowledge base grows, the granularity in the level of research is being refined, seeing more targeted work in specific areas of... more
BACKGROUND The use of chatbots in healthcare is an area of study receiving increased academic interest. As the knowledge base grows, the granularity in the level of research is being refined, seeing more targeted work in specific areas of healthcare, for example, chatbots for anxiety and depression, cancer care, and pregnancy support. This paper focuses on the targeted application of chatbots in drug and alcohol addiction. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to systematically review and summarise the research conducted on the use of chatbots in the field of addiction, specifically the use of chatbots as supportive agents for those who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. METHODS A systematic search of bibliographic databases using the broad search criteria of “chatbot and addiction,” identified papers for screening. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool were used, which resulted in the quality assessm...