Self-Help Groups for Alcohol Dependency: A Scoping Review

The aim of this literature review was to scope and present evidence on self-help groups that aim to facilitate recovery from alcohol addiction. A threefold search strategy was deployed. Within the 25 identified quantitative studies, three themes were identified: attendance, involvement and location, each of which impacted on recovery. Nine qualitative studies were also identified, five of these focusing on Alcoholics Anonymous. This international review of self-help groups in recovery from alcohol dependency demonstrates them to be an important and effective component of recovery. However, this review demonstrates that more research is needed into ‘non-AA, non-12-step’ affiliated self-help groups.