Orientation guide: Policy paper “What constitutes addiction self-help”

The German Center for Addiction Issues (DHS) has published a policy paper that provides comprehensive information about addiction self-help. It is entitled “What addiction self-help is all about” and is intended as a guide for anyone who is involved in addiction self-help or is interested in its services. The basic principle is that everyone has a right to treatment for their addiction because addiction is a recognized illness. The policy paper describes the various events and services aimed at people with different addictions and their relatives. It also explains how addiction self-help is organized in terms of associations and how it cooperates with other players in the field of health promotion and prevention. These include social insurance providers, private health insurers, local authorities, the federal states and the federal government. The policy paper is based on the Federal Framework Recommendations on Health Promotion and Prevention, which were adopted by the National Prevention Conference (NPK).

In an outlook on the future direction and work of addiction self-help, some challenges and opportunities are identified, such as

• Strengthening experiential knowledge and community experiences as central resources of addiction self-help.
• The presentation and communication of addiction self-help as an attractive and effective offer for all those affected.
• The adaptation and expansion of addiction self-help to the needs and expectations of different target groups.
• The use of digital media and technologies for the accessibility and networking of addiction self-help.
• Ensuring the quality and sustainability of addiction self-help through evaluation and further training The policy paper is available on the DHS website and can be downloaded free of charge.