Synopsis
From the President of the Research Society on Alcoholism Alcohol research has entered an era of growth which brings enhanced opti mism regarding the elucidation of the biochemical and psychosocial factors which combine to produce the phenomena of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The solidification of knowledge regarding the genetic determinants of certain alcohol-related problems puts on firm footing the biological approaches for developing solutions to these problems. The current volume of Recent Devel opments in Alcoholism contains an excellent blend of information both on stud ies assessing the behavioral and physiological variables which may be ge netically linked to an individual's risk of developing problems with alcohol, and on clinical and basic science investigations of the pathological conse quences of excessive ethanol ingestion. Further progress in the alcoholism research area will continue to require investigation of the interactions of en vironmental variables with the genetically determined biology of an individ ual. Novel techniques in the fields of molecular genetics, physical chemistry, and behavioral pharmacology are being brought to bear on the central issues in the field, and the addition of these tools to the science of alcohol research brings closer the prospect of fruitful clinical application of our basic knowl edge. The Research Society on Alcoholism remains devoted to the task of promoting the generation of knowledge regarding the actions of alcohol and the mechanisms which produce alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
From the Back Cover
Recent Developments in Alcoholism Volume 18: Research on Alcoholics Anonymous and Spirituality in Addiction Recovery Edited by Marc Galanter, NYU School of Medicine, and Lee Kaskutas, UC Berkely School of Public Health It was once taken for granted that peer-assisted groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous had no "real" value in recovery from addiction. More recently, evidence-based medicine is recognizing a spiritual component in healing especially when it comes to addiction. The newest edition of Recent Developments in Alcoholism reflects this change by focusing on the 12-step model of recovery as well as mindfulness meditation and other spiritually oriented activity. More than thirty contributors bring together historical background, research findings, and clinical wisdom to analyze the compatibility of professional treatment and nonprofessional support, day-to-day concepts of relapse prevention, the value of community building in recovery, and much more. Among the topics covered: How and why 12-step groups work. The impact of the spiritual on mainstream treatment. The impact of AA on other nonprofessional recovery programs. AA outcomes for special populations. Facilitating involvement in 12-step programs. Methods for measuring religiousness and spirituality in alcohol research. Whether one is referring clients to 12-step programs or seeking to better understand the process, this is a unique resource for clinicians and social workers. Developmental psychologists, too, will find Volume 18 Research on Alcoholics Anonymous and Spirituality in Addiction Recovery a worthy successor to the series.
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