Self-help organizations for alcohol and drug problems: toward evidence-based practice and policy.
This expert consensus statement reviews evidence on the effectiveness of drug and alcohol self-help groups and presents potential implications for clinicians, treatment program managers and policymakers. Because longitudinal studies associate self-help group involvement with reduced substance use, improved psychosocial functioning, and lessened health care costs, there are humane and practical reasons to develop self-help group supportive policies. Policies described here that could be implemented by clinicians and program managers include making greater use of empirically-validated self-help group referral methods in both specialty and non-specialty treatment settings and developing a menu of locally available self-help group options that are responsive to client's needs, preferences, and cultural background. The workgroup also offered possible self-help supportive policy options (e.g., supporting self-help clearinghouses) for state and federal decision makers. Implementing such policies could strengthen alcohol and drug self-help organizations, and thereby enhance the national response to the serious public health problem of substance abuse.
Humphreys
Keith
K
SAMHSA/Veterans Health Administration Workgroup on Substance Abuse Self-Help Organizations, c/o Program Evaluation and Resource Center, Veterans Affairs Health Care System (152-MPD), 795 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. KNH@stanford.edu
Wing
Stephen
S
McCarty
Dennis
D
Chappel
John
J
Gallant
Lewi
L
Haberle
Beverly
B
Horvath
A Thomas
AT
Kaskutas
Lee Ann
LA
Kirk
Thomas
T
Kivlahan
Daniel
D
Laudet
Alexandre
A
McCrady
Barbara S
BS
McLellan
A Thomas
AT
Morgenstern
Jon
J
Townsend
Mike
M
Weiss
Roger
R
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000191:economics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States