Editing Alcoholics Anonymous (section)

=== Measuring ===
Several metrics are used to evaluate the success of AA including abstinence, reduced drinking intensity, reduced alcohol-related consequences, addiction severity, and healthcare costs.<ref name="Cochrane2020">{{cite journal |last1=Kelly |first1=John F. |last2=Humphreys |first2=Keith |last3=Ferri |first3=Marica |year=2020 |title=Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs for alcohol use disorder |journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=CD012880 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD012880.pub2 |pmc=7065341 |pmid=32159228}}</ref> Because of the anonymous and voluntary nature of AA meetings, it has been difficult to perform random trials with them.  However, environmental and quasi-experiment studies suggest that AA can help alcoholics make positive changes.<ref name="NIAAA2019">{{cite web |date=2018-11-29 |title=Frequently Asked Questions: Searching for Alcohol Treatment |url=https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs-searching-alcohol-treatment#topic-how-can-mutual-help-groups-help |publisher=[[NIAAA]] |quote=the free and flexible support provided by mutual help groups can help people make and sustain beneficial changes and thus promote recovery}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/chapter-5-recovery.pdf |page=5-2 | title=Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health |chapter=5. RECOVERY: THE MANY PATHS TO WELLNESS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326190423/https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/chapter-5-recovery.pdf |archive-date=2018-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424846/ |title=Recovery: The Many Paths to Wellness |date=November 2016 |publisher=US Department of Health and Human Services}}</ref> Until recently, ethical and operational issues had prevented robust [[randomized controlled trials]] from being conducted comparing 12-step programs directly to other approaches.<ref name="Lilienfeld2015">{{cite book |last1=Lilienfeld |first1=Scott O. |url=https://scottlilienfeld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Science-and-Pseudoscience-in-Clinical-Psychology-Second-Edition-by-Scott-O.-Lilienfeld-PhD-Steven-Jay-Lynn-PhD-Jeffrey-M.-Lohr-Phd-Carol-Tavris-PhD-z-lib.org_.pdf |title=Science and pseudoscience in clinical psychology |last2=Lynn |first2=Steven Jay |last3=Lohr |first3=Jeffrey |last4=Tavris |first4=Carol |date=2015 |publisher=The Guilford Press |isbn=9781462505814 |edition=Second |location=New York |access-date=27 January 2023}}</ref>