We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
After drug treatment: are 12-step programs effective in maintaining abstinence?
- Authors
Fiorentine, R
- Abstract
Although participation in 12-step programs is now widely utilized as a treatment aftercare resource by individuals with drug and alcohol problems, little is known about the effectiveness of such a practice. This paper identifies gaps in the existing literature and articulates methodological concerns that may compromise investigations of 12-step programs. It highlights the need for additional after-treatment studies, and it presents findings from a 24-month longitudinal after-treatment study that suggests the effectiveness of 12-step programs. Rather than a behavioral indicator of recovery motivation or a spurious relationship confounded by additional treatment, aftercare, or alumni activities that occur simultaneously with 12-step participation, the findings suggest that weekly or more frequent 12-step participation is associated with drug and alcohol abstinence. Less-than-weekly participation is not associated with favorable drug and alcohol use outcomes, and participation in 12-step programs seems to be equally useful in maintaining abstinence from both illicit drug and alcohol use. These findings point to the wisdom of a general policy that recommends weekly or more frequent participation in a 12-step program as a useful and inexpensive aftercare resource for many clients.
- Publication
The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 1999, Vol 25, Issue 1, p93
- ISSN
0095-2990
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1081/ada-100101848