How do Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment Function? Differences Between the Perspectives of Members with Addiction and Family Members

Sa？etak Support groups for persons with alcohol addiction can be based on the self-help principle (AA model) or led by a professional, as is the case in Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment (CAT). In the CAT model it is important to include the person with an addiction and close family members. In this quantitative research we compared these two perspectives to detect the differences in their views on the functioning of the support group. Research was conducted using stratified random sampling in 40 CATs in Croatia with 653 participants: 453 members with an addiction and 200 supporting or accompanying family members. Research instruments for assessing different aspects of CAT as a support group were developed by the authors. Data were analysed using MANOVA analysis to detect differences in the two perspectives. The results show that both groups demonstrate a significant level of satisfaction with different aspects of group work. However, MANOVA indicated the following differences: the accompanying family members are usually women, accompanying family members attend meetings less frequently and have lower insight into the professional’s work, group relations and CAT’s contribution to their personal development. The research is one of the rare empirical insights into CAT’s functioning as a treatment group, with an attempt to distinguish heterogeneity in a membership. Since family members are somewhat more critical towards some features of CATs, in the future more emphasis should be placed on their active engagement in the group’s processes