Twelve-Step Therapy and Women with and without Social Phobia: A Study of the Effectiveness of 12-Step Therapy to Facilitate Alcoholics Anonymous Engagement

• NCJ Number: 230680
• Journal: Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Dated: April-June 2010 Pages: 151-162
• Author(s): J. Scott Tonigan, Ph.D.; Sarah W. Book, M.D.; Maria E. Pagano, Ph.D.; Patrick K. Randall, Ph.D.; Joshua P. Smith, Ph.D.; Carrie L. Randall, Ph.D.
• Date Published: April 2010
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): K02 AA00326; K23 AA014430; P50 AA010761; K24 AA013314; K01 AA015137-12
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated reasons why female alcoholics with social phobia (SP) fared less well when assigned to a 12-step therapy.

Abstract

Alcoholism treatment often encourages involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Little provision is made for women with SP, who have been reported to have worse outcomes in 12-step facilitation (TSF) relative to cognitive behavioral therapy. This study examined whether SP moderated the effects of gender for these women in TSF. One hundred thirty-three SP alcoholics assigned to TSF (35 females and 98 males) in Project MATCH were compared to a no-SP control group. SP women drank earlier and more intensely than no-SP women and all males, had equivalent completion of Step 5, and were less likely to acquire a sponsor during TSF. Table, figures, and references (Published Abstract)