During the pandemic, addiction recovery support services, like Alcoholics Anonymous, were forced to move online. Online programs are clearly better than no programs and may be able to reach many people, like those living in rural area, who have been unable to take advantage of these services. But as many of the pandemic-related restrictions are being lifted, we wonder if these online support services will persist beyond the pandemic. And, most importantly, are these programs effective?
In a recent article published in Politico, John F. Kelly, PhD, the Founder and Director of the Recovery Research Institute, predicts that online addiction recovery support services will continue to be offered, as they have proven to be more accessible to certain members in the community. However, he notes that it may be more difficult for those who are in the early stages of recovery, as there may be challenges in achieving social cohesion on an online platform.
As part of the Shatterproof Speaker Series, Dr. Kelly reviews his recent research regarding the effectiveness of 12-step programs, in general, and speaks to the future of online addiction recovery support services. For individuals with alcohol use disorders, peer‐led AA and professionally‐delivered treatments which facilitate AA involvement (TSF) usually produce similar or higher rates of continuous abstinence than other established treatments. In addition, AA/TSF probably performs as well as other treatments for reducing the intensity of drinking.
While going to a meeting in a church basement may feel different than sitting home in front of a computer, Dr. Kelly notes that there is some research to indicate that telemedicine-based interventions for substance use disorders are as effective as in-person treatment and are associated with high patient satisfaction, especially when access to treatment is otherwise limited (Lin et al, 2019). Online treatment for addictions may not be ideal for everyone, but it may provide us with an opportunity to reach more people and to maximize our changes for engagement.
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Kelly JF, Humphreys K, Ferri M. Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Mar 11; 3(3):CD012880. Free article.
Kelly JF, Abry A, Ferri M, Humphreys K. Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-Step Facilitation Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Distillation of a 2020 Cochrane Review for Clinicians and Policy Makers. Alcohol Alcohol. 2020 Oct 20;55(6):641-651.
Lin LA, Casteel D, Shigekawa E, Weyrich MS, Roby DH, McMenamin SB. Telemedicine-delivered treatment interventions for substance use disorders: A systematic review. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2019 Jun;101:38-49.
