Editorial Comment 3/17/2020: AA-derived Treatment Efficacy

Readers are encouraged to proceed directly to the lead abstract and its link below, a Cochrane Review examination of the relative efficacies of available psychosocial treatments when compared with facilitated and un-facilitated Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) participation, in the management of alcohol use disorder (AUD).  Widely-circulated in the few days that it has been available, the review has generated comments in the addiction community ranging from, “We all knew that already,” to noting that the specific focus was on AUD and not on the full range of substance use disorders (SUDs).  We strongly recommend reading what is linked, recognizing that the full-text requires a subscription or library access.  A Plain Language Summary in the latter half of the citation may be particularly useful when representing the findings to staff or to patients.

This is not the same as saying that the efficacy of 12-step programming is not effective for other SUDs, of course; only that its review here was restricted to the realm of alcohol use.  Moreover, individualization of patient care requires consideration of individual needs.  A reasonable conclusion, however, would be that those with AUD should be offered at least access to AA and a description of the evidence for its effectiveness.

This Week:  Please see separate notices, here and in emails from ASAM, indicating the cancellation of the ASAM Conference #51 in Denver.  Links on the ASAM website (www.asam.org) will indicate what is being provided in lieu of this year’s conference, as educational options, and what is being provided by ASAM as advice and recourses for intended attendees.

Next Week: The present state of the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic invites some parallels with management of other more limited epidemics such as opioid use and methamphetamine use; we will address these, usefully I hope.

- Editor-in-Chief: Dr. William Haning, MD, DFAPA, DFASAM