Adolescents' Participation in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous: Review, Implications and Future Directions

@article{Kelly2007AdolescentsPI,
  title={Adolescents' Participation in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous: Review, Implications and Future Directions},
  author={John F. Kelly and Mark Myers},
  journal={Journal of Psychoactive Drugs},
  year={2007},
  volume={39},
  pages={259 - 269}
}
  • J. Kelly, M. Myers
  • Published 1 September 2007
  • Psychology
  • Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
Abstract Youth treatment programs frequently employ 12-Step concepts and encourage participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Since AA/NA groups are easily accessible at no charge and provide flexible support at times of high relapse risk they hold promise as a treatment adjunct in an increasingly cost-constricting economic climate. Yet, due to concerns related to adolescents' developmental status, skepticism exists regarding the utility of AA/NA for youth. This… 
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87 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
4
Background Citations
45
Methods Citations
2
Results Citations
2

87 Citations

How safe are adolescents at Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings? A prospective investigation with outpatient youth.
What do adolescents exposed to Alcoholics Anonymous think about 12-step groups?
TLDR
General group-therapeutic, and not 12-step-specific, factors are most valued by youth during early stages of recovery and/or degree of AA/NA exposure, suggesting a mismatch between some youth and aspects ofAA/NA.
A Review of Alcoholics Anonymous/ Narcotics Anonymous Programs for Teens
  • S. Sussman
  • Psychology
    Evaluation & the health professions
  • 2010
TLDR
It is concluded 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.
Treatment Staff Referrals, Participation Expectations, and Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Adolescent Involvement in Twelve-Step Groups
TLDR
Findings suggest lower adolescent participation in 12-step groups is not due to a lack of clinician enthusiasm or referrals, but appears to be due to other factors.
Can 12-step group participation strengthen and extend the benefits of adolescent addiction treatment? A prospective analysis.
Youth recovery contexts: the incremental effects of 12-step attendance and involvement on adolescent outpatient outcomes.
TLDR
Community 12-step fellowships appear to provide a useful sobriety-supportive social context for youths seeking recovery, but evidence-based youth-specific 12- step facilitation strategies are needed to enhance outpatient attendance rates.
The Twelve Steps and Adolescent Recovery: A Concise Review
TLDR
The 12-step philosophy and practices are summarized and a concise review of research on adolescents’ involvement in 12- step groups is provided, including qualitative work that illuminates teenagers’ reasons for resisting or engaging in12-step practices.
Do young people benefit from AA as much, and in the same ways, as adult aged 30+? A moderated multiple mediation analysis.
Adherence to Recovery Practices Prescribed by Alcoholics Anonymous: Benefits to Sustained Abstinence and Subjective Quality of Life
In a British cultural context, we tested the idea that physical abstinence and psycho-existential well-being during the aftercare period of recovery may be enhanced by higher levels of overall…
Therapeutic Factors and Psychological Concepts in Alcoholics Anonymous
TLDR
Several powerful emotional concepts found in counseling and psychotherapy and their function as therapeutic factors in AA recovery are discussed and implications for counseling supervisors, counselor educators, and both addictions and mental health counselors are discussed.
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References

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Treatment Staff Referrals, Participation Expectations, and Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Adolescent Involvement in Twelve-Step Groups
TLDR
Findings suggest lower adolescent participation in 12-step groups is not due to a lack of clinician enthusiasm or referrals, but appears to be due to other factors.
Alcoholics Anonymous-Narcotics Anonymous model inpatient treatment of chemically dependent adolescents: a 2-year outcome study.
TLDR
Examination of chemical usage and social-civil-productive functioning in 157 male and female chemically dependent adolescents at 6, 12 and 24 months after leaving an AA/NA-based treatment program indicated that the AA/ NA model is a promising approach in treating chemically dependent teenagers, but that much attention to relapse prevention methods is necessary.
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TLDR
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TLDR
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  • J. Kelly, M. Myers, S. Brown
  • Psychology
    Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors
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A common recommendation for youth treated for substance abuse is to attend 12-step groups. However, little is known regarding the effects of this adult-derived prescription on substance use outcomes…
The effectiveness of the Minnesota Model approach in the treatment of adolescent drug abusers.
TLDR
Favorable treatment outcome for drug abuse was about two to three times more likely if treatment was completed, and there were no outcome differences between residential and outpatient groups.
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