Ethnic-Specific Support Systems as a Method for Sustaining Long-Term Addiction Recovery

Although addiction-recovery mutual-aid support groups have grown dramatically and now span secular, spiritual, and religious frameworks of recovery, most of what is known from the standpoint of science about these groups is based on the early participation of treated populations in Alcoholics Anonymous. Many questions remain about the effects of participation in other mutual-aid groups and different pathways and styles of recovery within and across diverse ethnic groups. This article reviews existing data on ethnic group participation in recovery mutual-aid groups, summarizes the history of culturally indigenous recovery movements within Native American and African American communities in the United States, and describes strategies aimed at increasing recovery prevalence and the quality of life in recovery for persons of color in Philadelphia, PA.