Mutual Help Groups, Perceived Status Benefits, and Well-Being: A Test with Adult Children of Alcoholics with Personal Substance Abuse Problems

A field experiment was conducted to examine the potential effects of mutual help group participation on perceived status benefits, depression, and substance use among adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) with personal substance abuse problems. Participants were randomly assigned to attend either ACOA-specific mutual help group meetings or substance abuse education classes during the initial month that they were enrolled in a residential treatment program for low-income substance abusers. Analyses were based on assessments made at baseline, a 1-month posttest, and a 6-month follow-up. Results indicated that participation in the mutual help group promoted perceived status benefits, which in turn led to reductions in depression and substance use. These findings have clear implications for consumers of ACOA groups and can inform research on the social psychological underpinnings of different types of mutual help groups.