Predictors and Outcomes of Twelve-Step Sponsorship of Stimulant Users: Secondary Analyses of a Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial.
This secondary data analysis explored predictors and outcomes of having a 12-step sponsor among individuals receiving treatment for stimulant use disorders, inclusive of four types of 12-step groups (Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, and Crystal Meth Anonymous).



For a multisite randomized clinical trial, participants (N = 471; 59% women) were recruited among adult patients in 10 U.S. community treatment programs. Participants were randomized into treatment as usual (TAU) or a 12-step facilitation (TSF) intervention: Stimulant Abuser Groups to Engage in 12-Step (STAGE-12). Logistic regression analyses explored the extent to which participants obtained sponsors, including the extent to which treatment condition and other predictors (12-step experiences, expectations, and beliefs) were associated with having a sponsor. The relationship between end-of-treatment sponsorship and follow-up substance use outcomes was also tested.



Participants were more likely to have a sponsor at the end of treatment and 3-month follow-up, with the STAGE-12 condition having higher sponsorship rates. Twelve-step meeting attendance and literature reading during the treatment period predicted having a sponsor at the end of treatment. Sponsorship at the end of treatment predicted a higher likelihood of abstinence from stimulant use and having no drug-related problems at follow-up.



This study extends previous research on sponsorship, which has mostly focused on alcohol use disorders, by indicating that sponsorship is associated with positive outcomes for those seeking treatment from stimulant use disorders. It also suggests that sponsorship rates can be improved for those seeking treatment from stimulant use disorders through a short-term TSF intervention.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.
Dennis C
DC
Wendt
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.
Kevin A
KA
Hallgren
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dennis C
DC
Daley
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.|Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Dennis M
DM
Donovan
D000328:Adult; D000436:Alcoholics Anonymous; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine