12-step mutual-help groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, are freely available and have proven to be valuable recovery support resources.
12-step mutual-help groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous, are freely available and have proven to be valuable recovery support resources.
l
Because relatively little is known about how having a sponsor is beneficial, Kelly and colleagues investigated whether the quality of the relationship, or “therapeutic alliance”, an individual has with his/her sponsor may contribute to the chances of further AA participation and ongoing recovery, similar to the ways in which a relationship with one’s therapist can positively influence treatment benefit beyond the specific treatment technique.
The researchers conducted a naturalistic SUD treatment study (i.e., observing and measuring participants that sought treatment as it was naturally provided, without manipulating the treatment being delivered) of 302 young adults aged 18-24 (sometimes referred to as “emerging” adults) that attended a residential SUD treatment program. They completed follow-up assessments 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment discharge. Researchers’ analyses focused on a subset of 153 emerging adults that had a sponsor and completed measures assessing contact with one’s sponsor and one’s perceived relationship with his/her sponsor (i.e., the “sponsor alliance”), for at least one of the three follow-ups.
The sponsor alliance was measured by a novel 10-item self-report measure adapted from the short-form of the Working Alliance Inventory, which has been used extensively in the science of psychotherapy to measure the therapeutic alliance. The Sponsor Alliance Inventory covers the bond between sponsor and sponsee (the individual being sponsored), as well as the extent to which the sponsee sees their goals – and the sponsor’s understanding of those goals – as aligned.
Items asked participants to rate their level of agreement with statements such as:
The researchers analyzed whether sponsor alliance was related to 12-step attendance, active involvement beyond attendance (e.g., socializing with other members outside of meetings), and abstinence measured by percent days abstinent from alcohol and other drugs during a follow-up period. These analyses adjusted for several factors that might be correlated with sponsor alliance and also influence the outcomes (i.e., a statistical confound), including demographic characteristics and level of commitment to abstinence upon treatment intake.
First individuals that had a sponsor at any point in the study, overall (n = 208), were more clinically severe (e.g., more substance use consequences) and more motivated for abstinence upon entering the study than those who did not have a sponsor (n = 92). Also, for those who did not have a sponsor coming into the study, about two-thirds acquired one by the 3-month follow-up. See figure below for acquisition and maintenance of a sponsor during the 1 year following residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
Sponsor alliance, too, was related to 12-step participation and abstinence, even when adjusting for the confounds mentioned above, as well as simply having contact with one’s sponsor outside of 12-step meetings.
The strength of the relationship between sponsor alliance and abstinence increased over time, as one moved further in time from their treatment discharge. In other words, the relationship was stronger 1 year after treatment discharge than it was 3 months after treatment discharge. In line with anecdotally-derived advice in 12-step groups about the importance of getting a sponsor, scientific studies have also shown that having a sponsor is likely a key 12-step recovery activity. This research demonstrating the value of engagement with a sponsor has even shown its advantage compared to, or over and above, other types of 12-step activities like working the 12 steps (as examples, see studies by Zemore et al. here and Tonigan & Rice here).
This Kelly et al. study extended the evidence of sponsorship-related recovery benefit to a young adult sample. It also highlighted that the nature and quality of this bond may be related to positive recovery outcomes like abstinence, and are certainly worthy of further study.
Next, researchers might investigate what factors explain the effect of having a sponsor on positive recovery outcomes in formal statistical mediation models, including the sponsor alliance, as well as other sponsor-mediated activities, like phoning or texting him/her to help cope with a craving to drink or use drugs.
**Note: One or more authors of this study were Recovery Research Institute Staff, including the director and/or other research scientists. As with all summaries, staff made the greatest possible effort to recognize and account for any potential biases in the review of this article.
l
Because relatively little is known about how having a sponsor is beneficial, Kelly and colleagues investigated whether the quality of the relationship, or “therapeutic alliance”, an individual has with his/her sponsor may contribute to the chances of further AA participation and ongoing recovery, similar to the ways in which a relationship with one’s therapist can positively influence treatment benefit beyond the specific treatment technique.
The researchers conducted a naturalistic SUD treatment study (i.e., observing and measuring participants that sought treatment as it was naturally provided, without manipulating the treatment being delivered) of 302 young adults aged 18-24 (sometimes referred to as “emerging” adults) that attended a residential SUD treatment program. They completed follow-up assessments 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment discharge. Researchers’ analyses focused on a subset of 153 emerging adults that had a sponsor and completed measures assessing contact with one’s sponsor and one’s perceived relationship with his/her sponsor (i.e., the “sponsor alliance”), for at least one of the three follow-ups.
The sponsor alliance was measured by a novel 10-item self-report measure adapted from the short-form of the Working Alliance Inventory, which has been used extensively in the science of psychotherapy to measure the therapeutic alliance. The Sponsor Alliance Inventory covers the bond between sponsor and sponsee (the individual being sponsored), as well as the extent to which the sponsee sees their goals – and the sponsor’s understanding of those goals – as aligned.
Items asked participants to rate their level of agreement with statements such as:
The researchers analyzed whether sponsor alliance was related to 12-step attendance, active involvement beyond attendance (e.g., socializing with other members outside of meetings), and abstinence measured by percent days abstinent from alcohol and other drugs during a follow-up period. These analyses adjusted for several factors that might be correlated with sponsor alliance and also influence the outcomes (i.e., a statistical confound), including demographic characteristics and level of commitment to abstinence upon treatment intake.
First individuals that had a sponsor at any point in the study, overall (n = 208), were more clinically severe (e.g., more substance use consequences) and more motivated for abstinence upon entering the study than those who did not have a sponsor (n = 92). Also, for those who did not have a sponsor coming into the study, about two-thirds acquired one by the 3-month follow-up. See figure below for acquisition and maintenance of a sponsor during the 1 year following residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
Sponsor alliance, too, was related to 12-step participation and abstinence, even when adjusting for the confounds mentioned above, as well as simply having contact with one’s sponsor outside of 12-step meetings.
The strength of the relationship between sponsor alliance and abstinence increased over time, as one moved further in time from their treatment discharge. In other words, the relationship was stronger 1 year after treatment discharge than it was 3 months after treatment discharge. In line with anecdotally-derived advice in 12-step groups about the importance of getting a sponsor, scientific studies have also shown that having a sponsor is likely a key 12-step recovery activity. This research demonstrating the value of engagement with a sponsor has even shown its advantage compared to, or over and above, other types of 12-step activities like working the 12 steps (as examples, see studies by Zemore et al. here and Tonigan & Rice here).
This Kelly et al. study extended the evidence of sponsorship-related recovery benefit to a young adult sample. It also highlighted that the nature and quality of this bond may be related to positive recovery outcomes like abstinence, and are certainly worthy of further study.
Next, researchers might investigate what factors explain the effect of having a sponsor on positive recovery outcomes in formal statistical mediation models, including the sponsor alliance, as well as other sponsor-mediated activities, like phoning or texting him/her to help cope with a craving to drink or use drugs.
**Note: One or more authors of this study were Recovery Research Institute Staff, including the director and/or other research scientists. As with all summaries, staff made the greatest possible effort to recognize and account for any potential biases in the review of this article.
l
Because relatively little is known about how having a sponsor is beneficial, Kelly and colleagues investigated whether the quality of the relationship, or “therapeutic alliance”, an individual has with his/her sponsor may contribute to the chances of further AA participation and ongoing recovery, similar to the ways in which a relationship with one’s therapist can positively influence treatment benefit beyond the specific treatment technique.
The researchers conducted a naturalistic SUD treatment study (i.e., observing and measuring participants that sought treatment as it was naturally provided, without manipulating the treatment being delivered) of 302 young adults aged 18-24 (sometimes referred to as “emerging” adults) that attended a residential SUD treatment program. They completed follow-up assessments 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment discharge. Researchers’ analyses focused on a subset of 153 emerging adults that had a sponsor and completed measures assessing contact with one’s sponsor and one’s perceived relationship with his/her sponsor (i.e., the “sponsor alliance”), for at least one of the three follow-ups.
The sponsor alliance was measured by a novel 10-item self-report measure adapted from the short-form of the Working Alliance Inventory, which has been used extensively in the science of psychotherapy to measure the therapeutic alliance. The Sponsor Alliance Inventory covers the bond between sponsor and sponsee (the individual being sponsored), as well as the extent to which the sponsee sees their goals – and the sponsor’s understanding of those goals – as aligned.
Items asked participants to rate their level of agreement with statements such as:
The researchers analyzed whether sponsor alliance was related to 12-step attendance, active involvement beyond attendance (e.g., socializing with other members outside of meetings), and abstinence measured by percent days abstinent from alcohol and other drugs during a follow-up period. These analyses adjusted for several factors that might be correlated with sponsor alliance and also influence the outcomes (i.e., a statistical confound), including demographic characteristics and level of commitment to abstinence upon treatment intake.
First individuals that had a sponsor at any point in the study, overall (n = 208), were more clinically severe (e.g., more substance use consequences) and more motivated for abstinence upon entering the study than those who did not have a sponsor (n = 92). Also, for those who did not have a sponsor coming into the study, about two-thirds acquired one by the 3-month follow-up. See figure below for acquisition and maintenance of a sponsor during the 1 year following residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
Sponsor alliance, too, was related to 12-step participation and abstinence, even when adjusting for the confounds mentioned above, as well as simply having contact with one’s sponsor outside of 12-step meetings.
The strength of the relationship between sponsor alliance and abstinence increased over time, as one moved further in time from their treatment discharge. In other words, the relationship was stronger 1 year after treatment discharge than it was 3 months after treatment discharge. In line with anecdotally-derived advice in 12-step groups about the importance of getting a sponsor, scientific studies have also shown that having a sponsor is likely a key 12-step recovery activity. This research demonstrating the value of engagement with a sponsor has even shown its advantage compared to, or over and above, other types of 12-step activities like working the 12 steps (as examples, see studies by Zemore et al. here and Tonigan & Rice here).
This Kelly et al. study extended the evidence of sponsorship-related recovery benefit to a young adult sample. It also highlighted that the nature and quality of this bond may be related to positive recovery outcomes like abstinence, and are certainly worthy of further study.
Next, researchers might investigate what factors explain the effect of having a sponsor on positive recovery outcomes in formal statistical mediation models, including the sponsor alliance, as well as other sponsor-mediated activities, like phoning or texting him/her to help cope with a craving to drink or use drugs.
**Note: One or more authors of this study were Recovery Research Institute Staff, including the director and/or other research scientists. As with all summaries, staff made the greatest possible effort to recognize and account for any potential biases in the review of this article.
SIGN UP FOR THE BULLETIN
151 Merrimac St., 4th Floor. Boston, MA 02114
