Participation in treatment and Alcoholics Anonymous: A 16‐year follow‐up of initially untreated individuals

Abstract

This study focused on the duration of participation in professional treatment and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for previously untreated individuals with alcohol use disorders. These individuals were surveyed at baseline and 1 year, 3 years, 8 years, and 16 years later. Compared with individuals who remained untreated, individuals who obtained 27 weeks or more of treatment in the first year after seeking help had better 16-year alcohol-related outcomes. Similarly, individuals who participated in AA for 27 weeks or more had better 16-year outcomes. Subsequent AA involvement was also associated with better 16-year outcomes, but this was not true of subsequent treatment. Some of the association between treatment and long-term alcohol-related outcomes appears to be due to participation in AA.*

Overcoming alcohol and other drug addiction as a process of social identity transition: the social identity model of recovery (SIMOR)

“…The efficacy of AA involvement in supporting recovery is also evident across a diverse range of populations (see Emrick, Tonigan, Montgomery & Little, 1993;Moos & Moos, 2006). Additionally, and in line with SIMOR's theoretical analysis, higher rates of attendance at AA meetings have been associated both with greater rates of abstinence from alcohol and an increase in the number of non-drinking friends (Humphreys, Mankowski, Moos & Finney, 1999).…”

Treatment, Alcoholics Anonymous, and 16-Year Changes in Impulsivity and Legal Problems Among Men and Women With Alcohol Use Disorders

“…However, women reported a slightly longer duration in professional treatment over this period (F = 5.07 Legal problems. At each assessment, participants were asked to rate how often, on a 5-point scale (0 = never, 4 = often), they had experienced problems as a result of their drinking in the past 6 months (Moos et al, 1990). Three items related to "drinking-related legal problems" were measured (i.e., hit someone due to drinking; police trouble due to drinking; driving while intoxicated).…”

“…The data were drawn from a larger study that evaluated the infl uence of professional treatment and AA on individuals' abstinence and other alcohol-related outcomes (Moos and Moos, 2006). The work described here extends this prior work by (1) assessing the degree of change in impulsivity and legal problems over 16 years, (2) assessing the connection between the duration of participation in AA and treatment and impulsivity and legal problems over this period, and (3) investigating whether changes in impulsivity predict changes in legal problems.…”

Impacts of Alcoholism in Public Health: A Systematic Review

“…They are interesting to reduce the alcohol addiction. Attendance in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is associated with reduced drinking and improved psychosocial functioning in individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) [114,115,12].…”