title: An exploration of the effect of on-site 12-step meetings on post-treatment outcomes among polysubstance-dependent outpatient clients.
abstract: Rates of return to active substance use after addiction treatment tend to be high; participation in 12-step fellowships (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous) reduces relapse rates but many clients do not attend or attend for a short period only. This quasi-experimental study uses repeated measurement to explore the role of presence/absence of on-site 12-step meetings during treatment on post-treatment outcomes. Polysubstance-dependent clients (N = 219) recruited at a program with and one without 12-step on-site, were followed for one year post-treatment. On-site 12-step enhanced 12-step attendance, especially during treatment, and predicted continuous abstinence for the post-treatment year. Holding 12-step meetings on-site is a low-cost strategy that programs should consider to foster post-treatment remission maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Addictions and Recovery (C-STAR), USA.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laudet
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stanick
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sands
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010358:Patient Participation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011594:Psychometrics; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome