Mutual Help Movements for Alcohol Problems in an International Perspective

Abstract

Mutual-help groups in the alcohol field were first organized 150 years ago, and some European groups continue from the late 19th century. After the Second World War, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) began to spread internationally, and new national mutual help movements were founded, to some extent drawing on or reacting to the AA model. While AA is dominant in North America and many English-speaking countries, other mutual-help movements are stronger in such countries as France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Japan. Several dimensions of differentiation between the movements are discussed, including: professional or institutional sponsorship vs. autonomous organization; the movement's religious, spiritual or secular basis; whether family members and others are members as well as alcoholics; whether there are external affiliations and activities; and patterns of internal organization and functioning.