CRII: CHS: Investigating Online Peer Support for Health and Wellness

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This project contributes to our understanding of the relationship between people and technology by addressing two related core open problems in the field: enacting anonymity online and managing strong tie support in online communities. Issues of privacy, anonymity, equality of participation, engagement, and social support are of interest in many online contexts. This work extends the theory and practice of Social Computing and Human-Computer Interaction by contributing a rigorous empirical investigation of online anonymity and peer support practices in online communities for recovery from addiction and alcoholism. Additionally, this project will contribute to the design of new technologies to advance national health and welfare - addressing the "treatment gap" for addicts and alcoholics who seek recovery by leveraging novel technology to connect them with treatment and peer support.These topics will be investigated through four specific research activities. First, participatory observation will be conducted of an online community for recovering addicts and alcoholics. Second, data will be downloaded from this online community over the course of a year to develop a quantitative understanding of the evolution of the relationships and activities in this community over time. Third, in-depth interviews with members of this community will examine the role of leadership in these online health communities and the factors that contribute to strong social support online. Finally, participatory design workshops with recovering addicts and alcoholics will integrate, vet, and validate the findings of these empirical investigations and develop novel ecologically-valid technology prototypes for supporting recovery from addiction and alcoholism.