Although self-help support program participation has been associated with sustained recovery from SUDs (Staines et al., 2003), few robust predictors of the use of self-help programs have been identified in past studies with individuals having alcohol use disorders (Carpenter et al., 2002; Weiss et al., 2000). Studies of cocaine dependent individuals have shown that the severity of substance dependence is associated with self-help program attendance (Carpenter et al., 2002; Weiss et al., 2000), and suggest that cocaine dependent persons without a religious preference may be inclined to attend self-help programs (Weiss et al., 2000). These studies primarily involved treatment-seeking persons, and have not examined psychiatric diagnoses as a potential correlate of self-help program participation. Therefore, this study also serves as a first test of the relationship of psychiatric comorbidity to SUD self-help support program attendance.
