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Alcohol Anonymous

Alcohol Anonymous

The Cochrane Collaboration is an organisation which publishes reviews regarding health care issues, in order to enable individuals to make a well-informed decision about the healthcare choices they make. In 2009 they published a review on Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step programmes for alcohol dependence. The objective of the review was to assess the effectiveness of these approaches in reducing alcohol intake, achieving abstinence, maintaining abstinence, improving the quality of life of affected people and their families, and reducing alcohol associated accidents and health problems.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is self-help group, organised through an international organization of recovering alcoholics that offers emotional support and a model of abstinence for people recovering from alcohol dependence using a 12-step approach. As well as AA, there are also alternative interventions based on 12-step type programmes, some self-help and some professionally-led.

AA and other 12-step approaches are typically based on the assumption that substance dependence is a spiritual and a medical disease.

The review focused on 3417 individuals over the age of 18, both male and female, who were attending Alcoholics Anonymous or other 12 step programmes, either by choice or on a coerced basis. These individuals were compared with those who were receiving either no treatment, or were using alternative methods. Follow ups were conducted with these individuals at 12 weeks during treatment, a year post-treatment and 3 years post-treatment.

The results indicated the 12 step methods improved scores in drinking consequences in the same way as other comparison treatments. The study also suggested that Alcohol Anonymous does not help patients to accept therapy and stay in therapy any more or less than other methods. The same applied to reducing alcohol consumption; AA was just as good as alternative methods. However, the study did conclude that AA had better abstinence outcomes than comparative treatment.

These findings suggest that although there was little difference between AA, twelve step programmes and other alternative methods, all of the interventions appeared to improve the outcome for the individual, and so it is important that healthcare providers recognise this and promote them.

Published by Addiction Advisor on 04/08/2011.

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