Sure Recovery app
SURE Recovery is an app for people who are:
- Using alcohol or other drugs
- In recovery, or
- Thinking about recovery
The app is free to use and has been designed to help people track their own recovery journeys and achieve their personal goals. The app has been developed with people at different stages of recovery and is based on their ideas and feedback, resulting in six key features:
- Recovery Tracker: This feature allows people to track their own recovery using the Substance Use Recovery Evaluator (SURE). Once completed, the app provides personalised text feedback and a score. People can also monitor how their scores change over time. Please watch the video below to see how to complete SURE.
- Sleep Tracker: This feature works in a similar way to the Recovery Tracker. App users can complete the Substance Use Sleep Scale (SUSS) to monitor their sleep and receive personalised feedback and a score. Please watch the video below to see how to complete SUSS.
- Diary: This is a private space where people can record their thoughts and feelings.
- Artwork: The app provides a platform for people to share their own artwork with the recovery community. App users can submit their artwork for potential display in the home screen of the app.
- Naloxone: This feature provides instructions on emergency support, including the use of naloxone, in the event of a heroin or other opioid overdose. There are also informational resources, including a training video, for people who want to learn more about using naloxone in an emergency.
- Reading: App users have free access to the book, The Everyday Lives of Recovering Heroin Users. This book is based on the lived experiences of people in recovery.
If people want to help with research, they can also opt into sharing aspects of their data with researchers at King’s College London. This will help researchers to better understand recovery from drug and alcohol problems and the findings can then be used to help improve treatment.
How was the SURE Recovery app developed?
The SURE Recovery app was developed by researchers at King’s College London in collaboration with people in recovery from alcohol and other drug problems, and Mindwave Ventures.
The development process involved numerous interviews and workshops with people in recovery, considering their experiences and what they thought would be useful in an app. People in recovery were consulted at every stage of development, including content, design and usability.
The app is now available to download, just search ‘SURE Recovery’ on the App store or Google Play.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Aurora Project Lambeth, the Service User Research Group (SURG), and Create Recovery. Without their support and advice, the development of this app would not have been possible.
Funders
The development of the SURE Recovery app was funded by:
- Action on Addiction
- The National Addiction Centre, King’s College London
- NIHR Maudsley BRC
Our Partners
The Aurora Project
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