There is a 2018 Cochrane report which claims that “We found that the talking therapies led to no differences, or only small differences, for the outcomes assessed.” This report, which is an update to a readily available 2013 report, only mentions 12-step programs in a single old study from 1998.
This Cochrane report ignores the recent studies showing AA efficacy, since they are recent and look only at how AA reduces alcohol drinking. Point being, there hasn’t been a Cochrane review which looks at how well AA reduces drinking since 2006, but there have been multiple experimental studies showing that AA (or TSF which gets people in the AA rooms) reducing alcohol abuse published since then.
I question the neutrality of the Cochrane committee with regards to effective spiritual treatments like the program; they are willing to update for 2018 a report which does not show efficacy for 12-step programs, but they are not updating their outdated 2006 report on Alcoholics Anonymous now that there are multiple experimental studies and a meta-study which scientifically demonstrate the efficacy of the steps.
