Does AA Work? - Recent Study Says Yes
Much society's impression of AA comes from what we see on TV, which is usually a group of really depressed, dysfunctional people sitting in a church basement, enveloped in a cloud of dark hopelessness. The popular depictions don't quite hit the mark. There are many smiling, happy people at these meetings. Many credit the program with saving their lives while others deride it as an ineffective, cultish organization lacking any scientific basis.
But does AA work? A rigorous scientific study conducted in 2020 finds that AA works as well, or better than other methods of recovery over a number of individual and aggregate indices. The study was conducted using the Cochrane methods. The Cochrane Collaboration requires adherence to rigorous protocols that minimize bias and ensure high-quality analysis. To read the study discussed in the video above click - Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M. Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD012880. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012880.pub2.
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