title: Do alcoholics anonymous groups really work? Factors of adherence in a Brazilian sample of hospitalized alcohol dependents.
abstract: This study was designed to determine factors affecting adherence to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups. This cohort involved 300 alcoholics committed to three hospitals in Porto Alegre, Brazil. They were interviewed again in their homes after six months. The SCID-I and a questionnaire focusing on patient relationship with AA groups were used. The responses obtained through the questionnaire were independently evaluated by two researchers. AA adherence was below 20%. The main factors reported by patients as reasons for non-adherence to AA were relapse, lack of identification with the method, lack of need, and lack of credibility. The factors reported by patients as reasons for adherence were identification with the method and a way to avoid relapse. Although AA is considered an effective intervention for alcoholism, its adherence rate was excessively low. The identification of these nonadherence factors could help health professionals in referring certain alcoholic patients to therapeutic interventions other than AA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Fundação Faculdade Federal de Ciências Médicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. mabarte@portoweb.com.br
authors.forename: Mauro Barbosa
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: Helena Maria Tannhauser
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Airton Tetelbom
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Figueira
authors.forename: Luiz Henrique
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Luciana Dias
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Athayde
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Souza Gonçalves
authors.forename: Dartiu Xavier
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: da Silveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000436:Alcoholics Anonymous; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome