Predictors of Self Esteem Among Members of Women for Sobriety

Abstract

One goal of alcohol treatment for women is enhancement of their feelings about themselves, and a treatment approach that explicitly addresses this challenge is Women For Sobriety (WFS). This paper reports on the results of the first WFS membership survey, conducted in 1991 (n = 600; response rate = 73%). Results were similar to those from longitudinal research which found about a 20% improvement in self esteem in the first year of sobriety. Significant predictors of self esteem included endorsement of the WFS programmatic beliefs and practices, use of those beliefs and practices in every day life, disbelief in AA's first step (powerless over alcohol), and length of time in WFS and length of time sober.

Key Words:

• women
• self esteem
• guilt
• recovery
• treatment
• Alcoholics Anonymous