Impressions of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Group Cohesion: A Case for a Nonspecific Factor Predicting Later AA Attendance

Overview

Journal Alcohol Treat Q

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2014 Aug 5

PMID 25089071

Citations 8

Authors

Samara Lloyd Rice

J Scott Tonigan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Social support for abstinence in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been reported to be a consistent factor accounting for AA benefit. However, the nonspecific or unintended effects of such support remain poorly understood and rarely investigated. This prospective study investigated how one nonspecific factor-perceived AA group cohesiveness-predicted increased practice of AA-related behaviors. Findings indicated that impressions of AA group cohesion predicted increased AA attendance, the practice of prescribed AA activities, and self-reported AA usefulness. It appears that a sense of belongingness predicts subsequent engagement in the AA social network that, in turn, is predictive of increased abstinence.

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