Drug treatment and 12-step program participation: The additive effects of integrated recovery activities

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 65 - 74
• Main Authors: Fiorentine, Robert, Hillhouse, Maureen P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 2000; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: 12-Step programs; Abstinence; Adult; Alcohol Abuse; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical outcomes; Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal; Drug Abuse; Drug treatment aftercare; Drug treatment effectiveness; Female; Humans; Los Angeles, California; Male; Medical sciences; Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self help; Self Help Groups; Substance abuse treatment; Substance-Related Disorders - drug therapy; Treatment Compliance; Treatment Methods; Treatment Outcomes; Treatment Programs; Treatment retention; Treatments; United States; North America; America; Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous; Drug treatment effectiveness; Treatment retention; 12-Step programs; Drug treatment aftercare; Human; Additivity; Drug addiction; Prognosis; Ethanol; Illicit drug; Treatment efficiency; Detoxification; Psychotherapy; Long term; Treatment; Follow up study; Adult; Public health
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/S0740-5472(99)00020-3

The dramatic rise in the number of 12-step programs and participants raises questions concerning client participation in drug treatment and 12-step programs, and their separate and combined effects on recovery. The results of a treatment outcomes study indicate that rather than recovery alternatives, drug treatment and 12-step programs are utilized by the client as integrated recovery activities. Treatment participants with pretreatment 12-step involvement stayed in treatment longer, and were more likely to complete the 24-week program. Both pretreatment 12-step involvement and duration of participation in drug treatment are associated with subsequent 12-step involvement. Most importantly, there is an additive effect of these recovery activities in that those who participated concurrently in both drug treatment and 12-step programs had higher rates of abstinence than those who participated only in treatment or in 12-step programs.