Abstinence and well-being among members of AA

Abstinence and well-being among members of alcoholics anonymous: Personal experience and social perceptions.

The subjective experience of well being was examined in abstinent Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members. In addition, the social perceptions of an abstinent alcoholic’s well being were examined in three nonalcoholic French-Canadian samples:

male police officers,
Catholic nuns, and
university women.

The lowest ratings of well being were reported by

short-term abstinent AA members and
university women,

The highest ratings were reported by Catholic nuns.

However, the level of well being among abstinent AA members was positively related to the length of abstention.

The three nonalcoholic groups evaluated an abstinent AA member more positively than a non-abstinent alcoholic.

These evaluations of an abstinent AA member converged with the AA members’ self-evaluations on the measure of well being.

Research; Kairouz, S.; Dibe, L. Abstinence and well-being among members of alcoholics anonymous: Personal experience and social perceptions. Journal of Social Psychology, 140(5):565-579, 2000