Problems with alcohol, drugs or gambling – experiences of content cooperation

The Problems with alcohol, drugs or gambling guide is one of the first guides in Suomi.fi Web Services that we implemented in cooperation with the content network. Content cooperation progressed as planned and all of us learned something new on the way.

To read more about how the network produces content, go to the content cooperation page.

This is how we proceeded in practice

Forming the content cooperation network

We invited public and third-sector actors with a central role in helping customers and communicating information about problems to join the content network. On the way, the network was complemented on the basis of recommendations received from the members. As a result, we managed to set up a group consisting of a suitable number of motivated and competent people with whom it was a pleasure to work!

Defining the problem and selecting the target group

The production of the new guide started with an examination of customers’ needs. First, we went through online forums, articles and the comments made on them, and websites with information on substance abuse problems. We also analysed the search words used in search engines. We supplemented this preliminary study with material received from the members of the network and information from interviews with specialists.

Addiction can be caused by a variety of things but we made the decision with the network to focus the guide on alcohol, drugs, medicines and gambling.

At the beginning of our work, we identified four target groups:

• Persons who go to work and suspect that they may have a problem, but have not acknowledged it yet
• Persons who have already lost, for example, their job, family or home because of the addiction
• Students under the age of 18 who are at risk of dropping out of studies because they use different substances
• Persons worried about the problematic use of substances or gambling of a family member or a person close to them

In the end, we decided to produce a guide primarily to those in the risk group.

The main problems are huge societal issues:

• Reaching those in the risk-group is important but difficult because an individual does not look for information or help before realising that they need it.
• Talking about an addiction is still partly a taboo in society and labels the person.
• It may be difficult to search for information and find treatment that is personally suitable when so many different actors and services are available.
• People want to or may look for help in their situation in different ways, which is why it is important to show different options.

However, the guide can help to

• highlight that it is quite ok to talk about substance use or gambling problems
• provide information and tools for understanding and recognising one’s own situation
• encourage to find help at the earliest possible stage

From a service path to a guide

Next, we began to create a service path for the customer. Because customers do not always take the same route, we had to create a line that progressed step by step, sometimes forcing things slightly. As a result, we had a logically structured and progressing framework.

We did not start to write the guide until after this. The network became closely involved when we started to write the drafts. Together we specified the facts, agreed on the services and additional links that would be shown in the guide, shaped the structure of the guide and discussed questions related to the tone of voice and terminology. We also tried to select the photos carefully.

Publication and communication

When we had almost completed the contents of the guide, we planned the post-publication communication together. In the communication, we used the Digital and Population Data Agency’s and the network members’ own communication channels from media releases to news, newsletters and posts in the social media.

The guide was published in autumn 2021. Content cooperation continued in March 2022 with a follow-up meeting in which we first went through the observed needs to make changes to the content and discussed how our communication had succeeded. We also agreed on the communications measures that would be taken in the spring and on continuing the cooperation with regular meetings.

Familiarise yourself with the Problems with alcohol, drugs or gambling guide (Suomi.fi)Opens in a new window.

Successes and challenges

When the work was launched in autumn 2020, people had already been getting used to the new routines of daily remote work for a few months. With the prolonged pandemic, the originally planned live meetings became remote meetings. The Teams meetings were successful, but even just one real meeting would definitely have intensified our cooperation. We carried out our shared work in Miro, which was a new tool for many us and the reason why people did not all find participation easy.

The responsibility for the coordination of content cooperation lies with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, in the Suomi.fi editorial team. In our view, we had succeeded in systematically driving the work forward. We did not want to burden the members of the network with too many meetings, but a few more meetings would have given us more time to work on the contents together.

We also asked the members of the network how they found the content cooperation and what we could have done better. The members reported that the production of the guide was a well-led project and it had been a pleasure to participate. The members also found they had a common agenda. The cooperation opened the eyes of many of the participants, enabling them to understand the views of different actors. There is still room for development in how we instruct the different stages of the work and how we facilitate remote participation.

The content network has members from

• A-Clinic Foundation
• EHYT Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention
• City of Järvenpää
• Peliklinikka / Information and Support Point Tiltti
• Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District
• Sininauhaliitto ry
• Sosped/Pelirajaton
• Suomen Päihderiippuvaiset ry
• Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL

NIINA ASIKAINEN-NIEVES
HELI HAUTANIEMI