Early experience with a web-based intervention with family members of alcohol or drug misusing relatives

A wide range of interventions are currently available on the internet for mental health and behavioural conditions. They included treatment for anxiety, depression, weight loss, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, specific phobias, panic disorders and various other conditions. Despite the variability, the general consensus is that they do lead to positive outcomes and often that it provides a means of reaching a far greater number of people than previously possible. Web-based intervention that target alcohol or drug users are few and even fewer is those that seek to support family members of users. This is paper reports our early experience in the development and evaluation of this evidence based programme support programme. The programme is based on the the 5-Step Intervention which was found effective when delivered in other formats (namely face-to-face and self-help). This intervention offers support to those who are affected by someone else's alcohol or drug misuse taking them through 5 stages specified in the intervention programme. This intervention emerged based on the theoretical perspective of the Stress-Strain-Coping Support Model. This paper presents the preliminary results of the pilot phase with 18 participants / entrants into the programme with follow up at 3 months post registration. And usage statistics of the first few months in which it has been opened up for public access. Results show great potential for this format reaching many that would otherwise find accessing