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"These findings emphasize that initial and subsequent episodes of participation in AA can have long-term effects on the likelihood of remission of alcohol-related problems," said Moos. "They also emphasize that counselors in information and referral centers and clinicians in substance use treatment settings should make every reasonable effort to enable individuals with alcohol-related problems to enter and continue to participate in self-help groups such as AA."

"Are these better outcomes due specifically to AA?" asked Miller. "We can't be sure. In general, the more actions people take toward their own recovery the better they do, whether it is attending treatment, going to AA, or faithfully taking medication. It is an impressively consistent finding, however, that people who go to AA during treatment have better outcomes. I do not believe that anyone should be required to attend AA, but certainly treatment providers and programs should be seriously encouraging patients to give it a try. Both treatment and AA seem to add something, and the people with the best outcomes are those who get involved in both. In short, AA is not a replacement for treatment, and treatment is not a substitute for AA."

Moos and his colleagues will continue to investigate the benefits of AA. "One of our future projects will try to identify individuals who can achieve abstinence or remission after professional treatment without participation in AA," he said. "Even though participation in AA has substantial benefits, these benefits do not necessarily accrue to all types of individuals; it is important to specify the characteristics of individuals who may not need to join AA in order to overcome their alcohol-related problems."

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13-Oct-2005