{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T06:30:59Z","timestamp":1765780259161,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765756800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Peer-led self-help groups are increasingly popular, but research on their effectiveness and processes remains scarce. This pilot study aimed to investigate treatment outcome and the impact of Yalom\u2019s therapeutic factors in self-help groups for alcohol use disorders (AUDs).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A self-help (SH,\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f32) and a professional-led therapy group (GT,\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f19) were assessed over the course of 8 weeks using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-11), and the Therapeutic Factors Inventory (TFI). Multi-level models were applied.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The increase in self-efficacy and therapeutic factors was higher in SH than in GT. The decrease in symptom distress did not differ. All results were adjusted for abstinence and prior experience with group treatment. In SH, moderate to large pre\u2013post effect sizes were found, while GT yielded small effect sizes. Yalom\u2019s therapeutic factors correlated with positive treatment outcomes, but the examination of the cause-and-effect relationship was inconclusive.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This pilot study suggests that the effectiveness of self-help groups is comparable to that of professional-led therapy groups in the accompanying treatment of AUDs. However, the small and unbalanced sample, the open-group design, and the absence of consumption and relapse measures limited inference; larger, multi-site studies with balanced groups are warranted. This pilot study of 51 participants of a self-help and a professional-led therapy group provides preliminary evidence that self-help groups could play an important role in bridging the treatment gap for alcohol use disorders. Yalom\u2019s therapeutic factors, particularly instillation of hope and secure emotional expression, were found to be significantly associated with positive treatment outcome.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1641718","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T06:27:00Z","timestamp":1765780020000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Helping people help themselves? Effectiveness of a self-help group for patients with alcohol use disorders\u2014a pilot study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Felix","family":"Wucherpfennig","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cara","family":"Borger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brian","family":"Schwartz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1080\/01609513.2022.2057393","article-title":"Self-help group experiences among members recovering from substance use disorder in Kuantan, Malaysia","volume":"46","author":"Abu Hassan Shaari","year":"2023","journal-title":"Soc. Work Groups"},{"key":"ref2","article-title":"Group therapy","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref3","article-title":"Psychologists struggle to meet demand amid mental health crisis: 2022 COVID-19 practitioner impact survey","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref4","article-title":"Self-help group","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.84.2.191","article-title":"Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change","volume":"84","author":"Bandura","year":"1977","journal-title":"Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"965","DOI":"10.1080\/10503307.2020.1729440","article-title":"Efficacy of group psychotherapy for anxiety disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"30","author":"Barkowski","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychother. Res."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1080\/1067828X.2014.981772","article-title":"The effectiveness of self-help groups for adolescent substance misuse: a systematic review","volume":"25","author":"Bekkering","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Child Adolesc. Subst. Abuse"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.3109\/0284186X.2011.610352","article-title":"A randomised controlled trial of support group intervention after breast cancer treatment: results on anxiety and depression","volume":"51","author":"Bj\u00f6rneklett","year":"2012","journal-title":"Acta Oncol."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"491","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.67.4.491","article-title":"Professional and paraprofessional group treatments for depression: a comparison of cognitive-behavioral and mutual support interventions","volume":"67","author":"Bright","year":"1999","journal-title":"J. Consult. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1017\/jrc.2016.9","article-title":"Effectiveness of social support group interventions for psychosocial outcomes: a meta-analytic review","volume":"22","author":"Brunelli","year":"2016","journal-title":"Aust. J. Rehabil. Couns."},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1037\/pst0000090","article-title":"Outcome differences between individual and group formats when identical and nonidentical treatments, patients, and doses are compared: a 25-year meta-analytic perspective","volume":"53","author":"Burlingame","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychotherapy"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.2190\/M447-1X11-6566-8042","article-title":"Effects of support groups on post traumatic stress responses in women experiencing stillbirth","volume":"55","author":"Cacciatore","year":"2007","journal-title":"Omega"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1068","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(19)30222-6","article-title":"Psychiatric comorbidities in alcohol use disorder","volume":"6","author":"Castillo-Carniglia","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"422","DOI":"10.1080\/07347324.2012.718960","article-title":"The effects of self-regulation and self-efficacy on substance use abstinence","volume":"30","author":"Chavarria","year":"2012","journal-title":"Alcohol. Treat. Q."},{"key":"ref001","article-title":"Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences","author":"Cohen","year":"1988"},{"key":"ref15","first-page":"239","article-title":"Self-efficacy as a matching hypothesis: causal chain analysis","volume-title":"Project MATCH Hypotheses: Results and Causal Chain Analyses","author":"DiClemente","year":"2001"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.3109\/01612840.2013.836260","article-title":"Emergence of Yalom\u2019s therapeutic factors in a peer-led, asynchronous, online support group for family caregivers","volume":"35","author":"Diefenbeck","year":"2014","journal-title":"Issues Ment. Health Nurs."},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"236","DOI":"10.1007\/s00278-020-00436-8","article-title":"Wechselseitige Effekte von Gruppenkoh\u00e4sion und Symptomen: Eine Studie mit depressiven Patienten in tagesklinischer und station\u00e4rer Psychotherapie","volume":"65","author":"Dinger","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychotherapeut"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"621","DOI":"10.1016\/j.earlhumdev.2013.04.006","article-title":"Peer support and interpersonal psychotherapy groups experienced decreased prenatal depression, anxiety and cortisol","volume":"89","author":"Field","year":"2013","journal-title":"Early Hum. Dev."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1081\/ada-100101848","article-title":"After drug treatment: are 12-step programs effective in maintaining abstinence?","volume":"25","author":"Fiorentine","year":"1999","journal-title":"Am. J. Drug Alcohol Abuse"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"997","DOI":"10.1002\/eat.22744","article-title":"Group psychotherapy for eating disorders: a meta-analysis","volume":"50","author":"Grenon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"ref21","first-page":"126","article-title":"Selbsthilfegruppen w\u00e4hrend der Corona-Pandemie - NAKOS-Befragung \u201cSelbsthilfe im Blick 2022\u201d","author":"Heinz","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref22","volume-title":"Circles of recovery: Self-help organizations for addictions","author":"Humphreys","year":"2004"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1016\/S0740-5472(03)00212-5","article-title":"Self-help organizations for alcohol and drug problems: toward evidence-based practice and policy","volume":"26","author":"Humphreys","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Subst. Abus. Treat."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1037\/gdn0000090","article-title":"Helping you helps me: giving and receiving social support in recovery groups for problem gamblers","volume":"22","author":"Hutchison","year":"2018","journal-title":"Group Dyn. Theory Res. Pract."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"342","DOI":"10.1080\/10503307.2020.1817603","article-title":"Group therapy for mood disorders: a meta-analysis","volume":"31","author":"Janis","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychother. Res."},{"key":"ref26","article-title":"JASP (Version 0.18)","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref27","article-title":"SWE - Skala zur Allgemeinen Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung","author":"Jerusalem","year":"2003"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1037\/a0024677","article-title":"Factor structure and validity of the therapeutic factors inventory\u2013short form","volume":"15","author":"Joyce","year":"2011","journal-title":"Group Dyn. Theory Res. Pract."},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"928","DOI":"10.1037\/a0034727","article-title":"Where there\u2019s a will there\u2019s a way: a longitudinal investigation of the interplay between recovery motivation and self-efficacy in predicting treatment outcome","volume":"28","author":"Kelly","year":"2013","journal-title":"Psychol. Addict. Behav."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsat.2019.01.016","article-title":"Group treatment for substance use disorder in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials","volume":"99","author":"Lo Coco","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Subst. Abus. Treat."},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1026\/0012-1924.52.1.11","article-title":"Reliabilit\u00e4t von Kurzformen g\u00e4ngiger psychometrischer Instrumente zur Evaluation des therapeutischen Fortschritts in Psychotherapie und Psychiatrie","volume":"52","author":"Lutz","year":"2006","journal-title":"Diagnostica"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-021-03321-z","article-title":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of group peer support interventions for people experiencing mental health conditions","volume":"21","author":"Lyons","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1521\/ijgp.2010.60.2.245","article-title":"Structure and initial validation of a short form of the therapeutic factors inventory","volume":"60","author":"Macnair-Semands","year":"2010","journal-title":"Int. J. Group Psychother."},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"384","DOI":"10.1007\/s00278-016-0119-y","article-title":"Yaloms Wirkfaktoren in der Gruppentherapie: \u00dcbersetzung und Validierung eines Fragebogens","volume":"61","author":"Mander","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychotherapeut"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2617","DOI":"10.1111\/add.15357","article-title":"Treatment rates for alcohol use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"116","author":"Mekonen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Addiction"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1159\/000500520","article-title":"How are self-efficacy and motivation related to drinking five years after residential treatment? A longitudinal multicenter study","volume":"25","author":"M\u00fcller","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur. Addict. Res."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1080\/07347324.2024.2362158","article-title":"Self-help for substance use disorder: a qualitative exploration of an exemplary organization in T\u00fcrkiye","volume":"42","author":"Nalbanto\u011flu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Alcoholism Treat. Q."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1300\/J087v36n01_08","article-title":"Therapeutic factors in divorce support groups","volume":"36","author":"\u00d8ygard","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Divorce Remarriage"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1347","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ajp.2009.09030345","article-title":"The efficacy of self-help group treatment and therapist-led group treatment for binge eating disorder","volume":"166","author":"Peterson","year":"2009","journal-title":"Am. J. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref40","volume-title":"R: A language and environment for statistical computing","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.113.135772","article-title":"Efficacy of coming out proud to reduce stigma\u2019s impact among people with mental illness: pilot randomised controlled trial","volume":"204","author":"R\u00fcsch","year":"2014","journal-title":"Br. J. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"242","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ps.201200572","article-title":"A randomized controlled trial of a peer-run antistigma photovoice intervention","volume":"65","author":"Russinova","year":"2014","journal-title":"Psychiatr. Serv."},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jocrd.2016.05.001","article-title":"Efficacy of group psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"10","author":"Schwartze","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Obse. Compuls. Relat. Disord."},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1037\/gdn0000064","article-title":"Efficacy of group psychotherapy for panic disorder: meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials","volume":"21","author":"Schwartze","year":"2017","journal-title":"Group Dyn. Theory Res. Pract."},{"key":"ref45","volume-title":"Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2022 National Survey on drug use and health","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref46","volume-title":"Sharing the journey: Support groups and the quest for a new community","author":"Wuthnow","year":"1996"},{"key":"ref47","volume-title":"The theory and practice of group psychotherapy","author":"Yalom","year":"1970"},{"key":"ref48","volume-title":"The theory and practice of group psychotherapy","author":"Yalom","year":"2005"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1641718\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T06:27:03Z","timestamp":1765780023000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1641718\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]]},"references-count":49,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1641718"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1641718","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]]},"article-number":"1641718"}}