AA Attendance and Abstinence
While Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a preferred form of aftercare for patients completing formal treatment programs, little is known about AA involvement and its effects on abstinence over time. In this study, researchers assessed participation in AA, abstinence, and other alcohol outcomes over 5 years among 349 patients who entered treatment at baseline and attended AA at least once during follow-up.
Four patterns of AA attendance emerged: low (mainly during the year following treatment entry); medium (about 60 meetings per year with a slight increase by year 5); high (over 200 meetings per year with a slight decrease by year 5); and declining (almost 200 meetings the year following treatment entry and about 6 meetings in year 5).
Abstinence (past 30 days) in year 5 significantly differed across groups: 79% of patients with high attendance reported abstinence, followed by 73% with medium attendance, 61% with declining attendance, and 43% with low attendance.
Patients with medium or high attendance had the largest social networks of people who supported patient abstinence or decreased alcohol use.
Patients across the groups had similar numbers of dependence symptoms and social consequences of drinking.
Comments:
Patients who attend AA after treatment can be characterized as those who never connect, those who connect briefly, and those who maintain stable (and sometimes quite high) attendance. Even those who connect for a short while appear to benefit years later, though higher attendance was associated with a greater likelihood of long-term abstinence. Providers should reinforce AA attendance as part of a comprehensive effort to improve long-term abstinence.
Joseph Conigliaro, MD, MPH
Reference:
Kaskutas LA, Ammon L, Delucchi K, et al. Alcoholics Anonymous careers: patterns of AA involvement five years after treatment entry. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2005:29(11);19831990.
I'm actually surprised that it wasn't closer to 100% of those reporting high atendance were abstinent in year 5 (i.e., sober beyond 30 days), as I've rarely seen someone attend AA daily for any significant period of time while still drinking.
I researched a lot of the literature some time ago, looking for studies of AA v. non-AA recovery rates, etc. I was surprised at how few scientific studies had actually been done, and a little discouraged by their results. Basically, I ended up concluding that the success of a faith-based program is probably best not measured by statistics, but by the ESH shared by its members.
I researched a lot of the literature some time ago, looking for studies of AA v. non-AA recovery rates, etc. I was surprised at how few scientific studies had actually been done, and a little discouraged by their results. Basically, I ended up concluding that the success of a faith-based program is probably best not measured by statistics, but by the ESH shared by its members.
I mentioned in another post I went to this seminar last week and the speaker's name was William White. He's been around since 1969 working in recovery. I didn't agree with all of his stuff but he had some recovery statistics that I had been looking for for a while. I was googling him earlier and came up with this. He wrote a book called "Chasing the Dragon" or "Killing the Dragon" or something like that about the history of recovery. It sounded interesting. Most of the studies he was talking about were done in a recovery center in Chicago. I wish I had the material with me but I left it at home. Maybe I'll have time to post more of it over the weekend. It was interesting but like I said, I don't agree with all of his ideas.
12 I HAVE ALSO BEEN LOOKING FOR THE SAME INFO PLEASE POST INFO
