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 improvement in participant well-being. This was also true for recovery capital and flourishing. Whilst a meaningful increase was seen in all measures, exploratory analysis found females responded better to the PART programme. Practical implications This study emphasises the importance of adopting a holistic therapeutic approach, one that considers multifaceted components of recovery such as those outlined in the G-CHIME model. Originality/value This study evaluates a new programme of work designed to improve the recovery outcome and mental well-being of people who are in early addiction recovery.

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 remarkable process that can be effectually explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each element in the model is apparent from the biography and e-interview presented. Originality/value Each account of recovery in this series is unique, and as yet, untold.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> 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. There is now more targeted work in specific areas of healthcare, for example, chatbots for anxiety and depression, cancer care, and pregnancy support. The aim of this paper is to systematically review and summarize 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 a substance use disorder (SUD). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A systematic search of scholarly databases using the broad search criteria of (“drug” OR “alcohol” OR “substance”) AND (“addiction” OR “dependence” OR “misuse” OR “disorder” OR “abuse” OR harm*) AND (“chatbot” OR “bot” OR “conversational agent”) with an additional clause applied of “publication date” ≥ January 01, 2016 AND “publication date” ≤ March 27, 2022, identified papers for screening. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to evaluate eligibility for inclusion in the study, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was employed to assess the quality of the papers. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The search and screening process identified six papers for full review, two quantitative studies, three qualitative, and one mixed methods. The two quantitative papers considered an adaptation to an existing mental health chatbot to increase its scope to provide support for SUD. The mixed methods study looked at the efficacy of employing a bespoke chatbot as an intervention for harmful alcohol use. Of the qualitative studies, one used thematic analysis to gauge inputs from potential users, and service professionals, on the use of chatbots in the field of addiction, based on existing knowledge, and envisaged solutions. The remaining two were useability studies, one of which focussed on how prominent chatbots, such as Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant can support people with an SUD and the other on the possibility of delivering a chatbot for opioid-addicted patients that is driven by existing big data. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> The corpus of research in this field is limited, and given the quality of the papers reviewed, it is suggested more research is needed to report on the usefulness of chatbots in this area with greater confidence. Two of the papers reported a reduction in substance use in those who participated in the study. While this is a favourable finding in support of using chatbots in this field, a strong message of caution must be conveyed insofar as expert input is needed to safely leverage existing data, such as big data from social media, or that which is accessed by prevalent market leading chatbots. Without this, serious failings like those highlighted within this review mean chatbots can do more harm than good to their intended audience.

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.

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. Findings In descending order, the top five ranked strengths were kindness, humour, honesty, fairness and teamwork. The lesser five strengths in the profile were spirituality, zest, perseverance, prudence and self-regulation. A distinguishing feature was the presence of humour as a top five strength for people in addiction recovery. The existence of teamwork also deviated from the generalised normative population. There were two strengths shown to have a meaningfully higher score for females, teamwork and love. This did not change the strengths present in the overall top five for males or females, however. Originality/value This study contributes useful knowledge to the understanding of character strengths in addiction recovery. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time character strengths have been examined in a sample of people in addiction recovery.