Strong evidence

~ Jason Schwartz

Keith Humphreys directs us to a new paper by SMART Recovery UK in support of mutual aid groups in general. It’s well written and avoids sectarian arguments of 12 step vs. SMART.

Although there is an extensive body of research into Mutual Aid, most studies are methodologically weak, typically describing correlations without the ability to infer causation (see Appendix A). This has led some commentators to conclude that there is little or no evidence for this form of support. We conclude that this is an out-dated position. The increasing numbers of higher quality studies, along with extensive corroborative research supports more robust conclusions.

There is strong evidence that participation in Mutual Aid groups improves recovery outcomes and evidence that greater levels of participation are associated with better outcomes.

Published by Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I no longer work at Dawn Farm and am now the Director of Behavioral Medicine at a community hospital, and a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.