PATHWAYS TO ABSTINENCE: IMPACT OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS – a knol by Loran Archer.

PATHWAYS TO ABSTINENCE: IMPACT OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

-The results of the present study support the effficacy of the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous to promote abstinence  

-In 1992 Americans with alcohol use disorders who continued to attend AA were more likely to achieve abstinence (64%) than those who dropped out of AA (37%) or those who never attended AA (16%)

-Abstinence recovery status varies as a function of increasing age and level of severity of alcohol
symptoms.

-The findings suggest that a substantial portion of the “AA drop outs” attain sobriety or abstinence after a period of AA membership and maintain their abstinence without AA

- The unmet need for AA referral is concentrated in the younger age groups, 35% in the 18-29 years group and 30% in the 30-39 years age group.

INTRODUCTION


Alcoholics Anonynous (AA) attendance is an important predictor of improved outcomes, such as abstinence, among persons with alcohol use disorders .  Severity of alcohol use disorders and age are characteristics associated with AA attendance and dropout rates . Dropout rates, in turn, are associated with relapse and return to high risk drinking.

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