Sunday, February 21, 2010

A Review of Alcoholics Anonymous/ Narcotics Anonymous Programs for Teens

Recently published:
The investigation of the applicability of Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous (AA/NA) for teens has only been a subject of empirical research investigation since the early 1990s. In the present review, the author describes teen involvement in AA/NA programming, provides an exhaustive review of the outcomes of 19 studies that used an AA/NA model as part of their formal teen substance abuse treatment programs, and provides data on the effects of AA/NA attendance on abstinence at follow-up, on which youth tend to become involved in AA/NA, and on mediation of the benefits of AA/NA participation. In addition, the author suggests the reasons for somewhat limited participation by teens in more informal, community-based 12-step meetings, and makes suggestions for maximizing participation at meetings in the community. The author concludes that AA/NA participation is a valuable modality of substance abuse treatment for teens and that much can be done to increase teen participation, though more research is needed.
Farm staff that want the entire article can email me.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

As a counselor who works with young people, I will be very interested to read this study. Thanks very much for posting the link. It's always a mystery why some kids do very well in 12 Step programs while others struggle. Any good research in this area is a godsend!