Observational studyJournal of medical Internet research2025
Demographics and Use of an Addiction Helpline for Concerned Significant Others: Observational Study.
Observational study in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Working Without Faces: Job Demands, Resources, and Burnout in Anonymous Helpline Workers in Slovakia and the Czech Republic-A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Assessing psychological resilience and its influencing factors in the MSM population by machine learning.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundConcerned significant others (CSOs) play a significant role in supporting individuals with substance use disorders. There is a lack of tailored support services for these CSOs, despite their substantial contributions to the well-being of their loved ones (LOs). The emergence of helplines as a potential avenue for CSO support is outlined, culminating in the focus on the Partnership to End Addiction's helpline service, an innovative public health intervention aimed at aiding CSOs concerned about an LO's substance use.
objectiveThe article analyzes the demographics and use patterns of the Partnership to End Addiction's helpline service, highlighting the critical role of such services, and advocating for expanded, tailored support models.
methodsThis observational study draws data from 8 data platforms spanning April 2011 to December 2021, encompassing 24,096 client records. Surveys were completed by helpline specialists during synchronous telephone calls or self-reported by CSOs before helpline engagement. Collected information encompasses demographics, interaction language, substance of concern, CSO-LO relationship, and the LO's "use state," that is, their location on the continuum of substance use.
resultsCSOs primarily comprised women (13,980/18,373, 76.1%) seeking support for their children (1062/1542, 68.9%). LOs were mostly male (1090/1738, 62.7%), aged 18-25 years (2380/7208, 33%), with primary substance concerns being cannabis (5266/12,817, 40.9%), opioids (2445/12,817, 19%), and stimulants (1563/12,817, 12.1%). CSOs primarily sought aid for LOs struggling with substances who were not in treatment (1102/1753, 62.9%). The majority of CSOs were looking for support in English (14,738/17,920, 82.2%), while the rest (3182/17,920, 17.8%) preferred to communicate in Spanish. Spanish-speaking CSOs were significantly more likely to call about cannabis (n=963, 53.7% vs n=4026, 38.6%) and stimulants (n=304, 16.9% vs n=1185, 11.3%) than English-speaking CSOs (P<.001). On the other hand, English-speaking CSOs were more likely to be concerned about opioids than Spanish-speaking CSOs (n=2215, 21.3% vs n=94, 5.2%; P<.001).
conclusionsThe study illuminates the helpline's pioneering role in aiding CSOs grappling with an LO's substance use. It highlights helplines as crucial resources for CSOs, revealing key demographic, substance-related, and use-state trends. The dominant presence of women among users aligns with other helpline patterns and reflects traditional caregiving roles. While parents form a significant percentage of those reaching out, support is also sought by siblings, friends, and other family members, emphasizing the need for assistance for other members of an LO's social network. Spanish-speaking individuals' significant outreach underscores the necessity for bilingual support services. Substance concerns revolve around cannabis, opioids, and stimulants, influenced by age and language preferences. The helpline serves as an essential intermediary for CSOs, filling a gap between acute crisis intervention services and formalized health care and treatment services. Overall, the study highlights this helpline's crucial role in aiding CSOs with tailored, accessible support services.
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