ABSTRACT
Conventional wisdom about 12 step mutual help programs for substance abusers holds that these organizations appeal primarily to white, middle class men. To investigate the validity of this claim, a sample of 558 persons who were followed up one year after their intake to substance abuse treatment was studied. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the 178 persons who were attending mutual help after treatment were not significantly different from the 380 who 166were not, on race, gender, education, employment pattern, or marital status. Supplemental analyses of the data suggested that women are more likely to drop out of 12 step groups than are men and that African Americans who attend self-help after treatment have better outcomes on clinical and social measures than do African Americans who do not attend self-help groups. Overall the findings suggest that 12 step programs both appeal to and benefit disenfranchised groups.
