BACKGROUND:

This study examined associations between two types of AA participation (i.e., meeting attendance, having a sponsor) and two types of post-treatment abstinence (i.e., abstinence from alcohol, abstinence from drugs).

METHOD:

Respondents completed measures that assessed their demographic characteristics, the severity of their substance use, and their motivation to change when they enrolled in treatment (T1). They completed measures of AA participation at T1 and a 3-month follow-up assessment (T2), and measures of recent abstinence at T1 and a 6-month follow-up assessment (T3).

RESULTS:

T2 sponsor was associated prospectively with T3 abstinence from alcohol.

CONCLUSIONS:

Having a sponsor served as a marker for subsequent abstinence. Future research can examine factors that may mediate or moderate the associations between having a sponsor and subsequent abstinence.

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