Role of mutual help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Question 6: Should non-specialist health care providers refer alcohol dependent patients and their family members to mutual help groups such as AA?
- Population: patients with alcohol dependence and their family
- Interventions: AA and similar (or Alanon or similar for family)
- Comparison:
- other self-help programmes
- care as usual
- Outcomes:
- alcohol consumption risk patterns
- alcohol consumption
- alcohol related harm
- psychosocial functioning.
Recommendation(s)
Non-specialist health care workers should familiarise themselves with locally available mutual help groups (such as AA), and should encourage the alcohol dependent patient to engage with such a group.
Strength of recommendation: STANDARD
Non-specialist health care workers should monitor the impact of attending the group on the patient with alcohol dependence.
Strength of recommendation: STANDARD
Family members of patients with alcohol dependence should also be encouraged to engage with an appropriate mutual help group for families.
Strength of recommendation: STANDARD