Characteristics and Significance of Professional-Led Support Groups in the Treatment of Alcoholism

ABSTRACT

A distinctive form of posttreatment support for persons in recovery from alcoholism (alcohol use disorders) is the club of treated alcoholics (CTA). These groups are in the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous with several important distinctions: the CTA groups are led by a health or social care professional, family members are included in the group, and groups are encouraged to be active in local community. This is a descriptive study of 40 randomly selected CTA groups with a focus on how participation in these groups improves the level of psychosocial functioning in the participants with a focus on how the participants relate to each other and the assigned health care professional.

KEYWORDS:

• clubs of treated alcoholics (CTA)
• professional-led group
• psychosocial change

Notes

1. Lower degree refers to more frequent meeting attendance (1 = every week, 5 = once a year).