The Effect of Alcoholics Anonymous on Abstinence

Objective:To evaluate the effect of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) on abstinence.Method:According to the inpatient records, we followed 34 discharged patients diagnosed alcohol dependence, and compared the duration of abstinence of those participated AA (n=13) and those without (n=21).Result: The average age of AA group was 45±3, that of non-AA was 39±2. The abstinence of AA group was 6.1±1.4 months, that of non-AA was 1.1±0.5 months. The differences had statistical significance. The longer the alcoholics remained in AA, the longer they kept abstinence. Conclusion: AA can benefit alcoholics.