R21 AA 017131-01
Principal Investigator: J. Scott Tonigan, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: NIAAA
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most popular self-help program for problem drinkers, and 12-step therapy based on AA practices and beliefs, is the most commonly used treatment approach in the U.S.. Significant gains have been made in clarifying the nature and magnitude of AA-related benefit, and effective strategies have been developed to facilitate AA attendance. How and why AA is beneficial for many, but not all, problem drinkers remains unclear and is rarely investigated, however. This application responds to RFA-AA-07-005. A basic premise in this application is that AA is a manual guided self-help program, a fact overlooked in nearly all AA investigations. AA literature, for example, provides clear prescriptions about desired AA behaviors, e.g., 12-steps, therapeutic mechanisms of change, and intended outcomes. This study aims to investigate how, if at all, prescribed AA practices mobilize three therapeutic mechanisms identified in the manual of AA, the Big Book: (1) selfish-narcissism, (2) social attachment, and (3) spirituality. The four study aims are: (1) determine the measurement structure and trajectory of three AA-specific therapeutic mechanisms, (2) determine whether these AA mechanisms mediate AA benefit, and identify the AA-prescribed behaviors that kindle these mechanisms, (3) determine if AA therapeutic mechanisms are correlated with, or are consequences of, rival explanations for AA benefit, e.g., social support for abstinence, and (4) determine if alcohol problem severity moderates processes under investigation. A single-group (N = 128) longitudinal design will be used, and recruitment will occur in AA clubs and an outpatient treatment center. Little is known about how, if at all, history of prior alcohol quit efforts may influence processes of interest. Study inclusion-exclusion criteria are therefore intended to recruit individuals in early stages of changing alcohol use who have had, at most, limited success in changing past alcohol use and who have had minimal exposure to AA and treatment. Constructs of interest will be defined in multidimensional terms, including substance use and consequences. Findings will shed light on the validity of long-held AA prescriptions, and will lead to an enlarging and/or sharpening of 12-step therapeutic practices to more effectively facilitate long-term AA participation.
For more information, call (505) 925-2384, or email jtonigan@unm.edu
Principal Investigator: J. Scott Tonigan, Ph.D.
Funding Agency: NIAAA
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most popular self-help program for problem drinkers, and 12-step therapy based on AA practices and beliefs, is the most commonly used treatment approach in the U.S.. Significant gains have been made in clarifying the nature and magnitude of AA-related benefit, and effective strategies have been developed to facilitate AA attendance. How and why AA is beneficial for many, but not all, problem drinkers remains unclear and is rarely investigated, however. This application responds to RFA-AA-07-005. A basic premise in this application is that AA is a manual guided self-help program, a fact overlooked in nearly all AA investigations. AA literature, for example, provides clear prescriptions about desired AA behaviors, e.g., 12-steps, therapeutic mechanisms of change, and intended outcomes. This study aims to investigate how, if at all, prescribed AA practices mobilize three therapeutic mechanisms identified in the manual of AA, the Big Book: (1) selfish-narcissism, (2) social attachment, and (3) spirituality. The four study aims are: (1) determine the measurement structure and trajectory of three AA-specific therapeutic mechanisms, (2) determine whether these AA mechanisms mediate AA benefit, and identify the AA-prescribed behaviors that kindle these mechanisms, (3) determine if AA therapeutic mechanisms are correlated with, or are consequences of, rival explanations for AA benefit, e.g., social support for abstinence, and (4) determine if alcohol problem severity moderates processes under investigation. A single-group (N = 128) longitudinal design will be used, and recruitment will occur in AA clubs and an outpatient treatment center. Little is known about how, if at all, history of prior alcohol quit efforts may influence processes of interest. Study inclusion-exclusion criteria are therefore intended to recruit individuals in early stages of changing alcohol use who have had, at most, limited success in changing past alcohol use and who have had minimal exposure to AA and treatment. Constructs of interest will be defined in multidimensional terms, including substance use and consequences. Findings will shed light on the validity of long-held AA prescriptions, and will lead to an enlarging and/or sharpening of 12-step therapeutic practices to more effectively facilitate long-term AA participation.
For more information, call (505) 925-2384, or email jtonigan@unm.edu
