Preventing, reducing and treating problematic drug use with digital technology

Abstract

Substance abuse disorder is a public health issue which causes significant biological, psychological, social and financial harm in families both in Malta and around the world. Although traditional interventions are well established and backed by significant amounts of literature, the relapse rate, particularly in young people, remains high. As such, technology has often been touted as an alternative to traditional therapy as well as a tool in the prevention and reduction of substance use. This paper analyses the literature surrounding some of the more frequently described examples of technology-based interventions to determine their roles and limitations in the prevention, reduction and treatment of substance abuse disorders whilst also briefly analysing COVID-19’s effect on technology use in addiction treatment. As our ability to harness technology and novel forms of media in medicine increases, so too will the options for substance abuse treatment increase. Some examples of technology-based interventions discussed in this paper include online recovery groups, online forums, educational interventions, self-guided web-based therapeutic interventions, m-health and virtual reality software.