Online Sobriety Communities for Women's Problematic Alcohol Use: A Mini Review of Existing Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Abstract

The increase in women's drinking is one of the most prominent trends in alcohol consumption in the UK in recent history, possibly exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdown measures. Higher rates of drinking are associated with substantial economic, health, and social costs. However, women are less likely to seek treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) than men and have less successful treatment outcomes from traditional treatment paths, such as 12-step programs and in-patient care. Female heavy drinkers may also experience particular forms of gendered stigma that affect their experiences of addiction and recovery and their desire or ability to access these more “traditional” services. This review provides an overview of existing qualitative and quantitative research regarding online sobriety communities that are predominantly utilised by women, such as non-12-step alcohol online support groups (AOSGs) and temporary abstinence initiatives (TAIs). This is a small—but expanding—body of literature emerging as “sober curiosity” and “mindful drinking” are trending in Western contexts such as the UK, particularly amongst young women who do not identify with traditional, binary recovery language such as “alcoholic” and “addict.” This review highlights the gaps in research and concludes that further research regarding these new treatment pathways, and women's experiences when utilising them, must be conducted to provide more evidence-based options for women who want to address problematic drinking. Public health bodies could also learn more effective strategies from these innovative solutions to reduce alcohol consumption generally.

‘It's kind of like weaning. I had to wean myself off of wine’: Navigating no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks as potential harm reduction tools and relapse triggers by women in recovery in the UK

“…Table 1 details the participants' pseudonyms, ages and their length of time in recovery. In response to calls for research that specifically addresses the sex and gender differences regarding women's alcohol use [11] and their sex-specific treatment needs [10,12], women's experiences were the sole focus of this research project. To mitigate the risk that interviews could destabilise the recovery of participants (due to the discussion of past drinking practices and other potentially sensitive topics), it was required that participants had at least 6 months of continuous sobriety and were not undergoing medical treatment for their previous drinking behaviours at the time of interview.…”

“…Since 2015, online sobriety communities have emerged and proliferated in the United Kingdom yet remain under‐researched as a recovery modality. They are typically hosted on social networking sites and help individuals to change their drinking behaviours through a range of services, including recovery coaching and peer‐to‐peer support [10]. Some communities sell no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks or receive money to promote them [4].…”

Chronic alcohol consumption and COVID‐19 infection risk: A narrative review

“…Regarding the physiological impact of chronic alcohol consumption, it has been reported that women experience stronger negative effects relative to men, including liver cirrhosis and cardiomyopathy (Agabio et al, 2017). Additionally, women with an AUD diagnosis do not respond as well as men to standard AUD therapeutic approaches as men (Davey, 2021; Flores‐Bonilla & Richardson, 2020; Sanchis‐Segura & Becker, 2016). In conclusion, it is important to consider potential sex‐/gender‐specific differences in AUD patients, also with respect to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection risk and treatment.…”

Sober Curiosity: A Qualitative Study Exploring Women’s Preparedness to Reduce Alcohol by Social Class

“…However, women are over-represented in programs promoting temporary periods of abstinence, such as FebFast (a month of sobriety) or Hello Sunday Morning (an online program where people commit to a period of abstinence and communicate with others about their experiences) [ 35 ]. Similarly, platforms and spaces for expressions of sober curiosity—including social media accounts, contemporary ‘quit lit’ and new online communities are mostly run by and used by women [ 36 ]. Participation in online sobriety communities fosters an inclusive space for like-minded individuals, offering emotional and social support to others attempting to reduce or cease their drinking [ 37 , 38 ]; this support may be salient for women who may feel under-represented in more ‘traditional’ recovery communities [ 39 ].…”