ArticleThe International journal on drug policy2026
Second-wave mutual-help groups: Examining effectiveness for individuals with alcohol use disorders in the longitudinal, U.S. national PAL Study cohorts.
Article in The International journal on drug policy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Mapping and measuring addiction recovery: Recommended protocols through the PHENX toolkit.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2026Review
- Longitudinal engagement and drinking outcomes associated with mode of 12-step attendance.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2026Article
- How Age and Race/Ethnicity Affect the Benefits of Mutual-Help Group Involvement for People With Alcohol Use Disorders: Findings From the PAL Study Cohorts.Alcohol, clinical & experimental research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSecond-wave mutual-help groups (MHGs) for addiction (e.g., SMART Recovery) are prevalent and promising, but limited studies have examined their effectiveness. We examined 1) the comparative effectiveness of second-wave MHGs for supporting alcohol use disorder recovery and 2) correlates of MHG involvement.
methodsData were pooled from the Peer ALternatives for Addiction (PAL) Study 2015 and 2021 Cohorts (N = 1152), which recruited adults via collaboration with MHG directors and recovery-related organizations. Eligibility criteria included U.S. residence, lifetime alcohol use disorder, and past-30-day in-person/online attendance at Women for Sobriety, LifeRing, SMART, and/or a 12-step group. Surveys were administered at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months (response rates=81-88 %), and assessed MHG choice (defined using attendance), MHG involvement (5-item scale; e.g., regular/home group, volunteering/service) and alcohol outcomes (below).
resultsIn lagged, multivariate generalized estimating equations, greater MHG involvement strongly predicted higher odds of alcohol abstinence (OR=2.62, p<.001), lower odds of alcohol problems (OR=0.39, p<.01), and fewer drinking days (IRR=0.12, p<.001) at follow-ups. MHG choice was unrelated to outcomes either alone or in interaction with MHG involvement, suggesting comparable effectiveness for all second-wave MHGs (vs. 12-step). Predictors of greater MHG involvement included older age, a total abstinence (vs. other) goal, and 2015 (vs. 2021) Cohort.
conclusionsFindings suggest comparable effectiveness for the targeted second-wave alternatives (vs. 12-step) among community members attending MHGs, indicating that alcohol service providers, courts, and policymakers should consider referring to and supporting these alternatives. Still, variation in SMART's program across time and geography suggests caution in interpreting the results for SMART.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.