TY - JOUR AU - Chernick, Rachel AU - Sy, Amanda AU - Dauber, Sarah AU - Vuolo, Lindsey AU - Allen, Bennett AU - Muench, Fred PY - 2025 DA - 2025/4/14 TI - Demographics and Use of an Addiction Helpline for Concerned Significant Others: Observational Study JO - J Med Internet Res SP - e55621 VL - 27 KW - family KW - hotline KW - helpline KW - warmline KW - crisis continuum KW - substance abuse KW - addiction KW - youth KW - concerned significant other KW - digital behavioral health KW - parents KW - substance use disorders KW - well-being KW - public health intervention KW - cannabis KW - treatment KW - opioids KW - men KW - women KW - assessments AB - Background: Concerned 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. Objective: The 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. Methods: This 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. Results: CSOs 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). Conclusions: The 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. SN - 1438-8871 UR - https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e55621 UR - https://doi.org/10.2196/55621 DO - 10.2196/55621 ID - info:doi/10.2196/55621 ER -