title: Alcoholics Anonymous-Related Helping and the Helper Therapy Principle.
abstract: The helper therapy principle (HTP) observes the helper's health benefits derived from helping another with a shared malady. The HTP is embodied by the program of Alcoholics Anonymous as a method to diminish egocentrism as a root cause of addiction. This article reviews recent evidence of the HTP in alcohol populations, extends to populations with chronic conditions beyond addiction, and concludes with new directions of empirical inquiry.
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child Psychiatry, Cleveland, Ohio USA.
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Johnson
keywords: 12-Step programs; AA-related helping; Service; substance use disorders