Alcoholics Anonymous is an example of which type of group?

Alcoholics Anonymous is an example of which type of group?

• A. Self-help
• B. Psychotherapy group
• C. Task group
• D. Educational group

Answer: (A)

Self-help groups are peer-led, voluntary groups that provide mutual aid for a shared problem, with members supporting one another rather than being directed by a professional therapist. Alcoholics Anonymous fits this model well: people join to support abstinence, share personal experiences, and work through the 12-step program in a nonclinical setting, often with a sponsor who offers guidance. There isn’t a clinician delivering formal psychotherapy in the usual meeting structure; the focus is on ongoing support, accountability, and coping strategies developed through lived experience and peer feedback. In contrast, a psychotherapy group is led by a trained mental health professional and delivers structured therapy; a task group is formed to complete a specific objective or project; an educational group aims to teach information or skills. So Alcoholics Anonymous is best categorized as a self-help group.

Self-help groups are peer-led, voluntary groups that provide mutual aid for a shared problem, with members supporting one another rather than being directed by a professional therapist. Alcoholics Anonymous fits this model well: people join to support abstinence, share personal experiences, and work through the 12-step program in a nonclinical setting, often with a sponsor who offers guidance. There isn’t a clinician delivering formal psychotherapy in the usual meeting structure; the focus is on ongoing support, accountability, and coping strategies developed through lived experience and peer feedback.

In contrast, a psychotherapy group is led by a trained mental health professional and delivers structured therapy; a task group is formed to complete a specific objective or project; an educational group aims to teach information or skills. So Alcoholics Anonymous is best categorized as a self-help group.