Abstract
Most alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse patients participate in self-help (SH) programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous at some time, but few studies investigate longitudinal SH attendance patterns. The present study examines the relationship between longitudinal SH attendance patterns and level of AOD use over 30 months in a large sample of adults seeking public AOD treatment. Continuous SH participation was associated with lowest AOD use at followup, while non-attendance was linked to highest use, even after controlling for length of formal treatment and participants' perceived severity of their AOD problem. Results suggest that both SH and formal substance abuse treatment are independently associated with reduced AOD use, and SH participation is associated with treatment. This study supports the importance of SH attendance and of formal treatment by individuals with AOD abuse disorders.
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