Support groups for alcohol use disorder are more effective when they are attended in person, study finds

Much of life went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic — work, school and even some doctor's appointments. So did many support groups for people with alcohol use disorder.

But people who attended Alcoholic Anonymous, SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety and other mutual-help groups in person were "significantly" more likely to maintain sobriety than people who participated in these groups only online, a recent study shows. MORE: Nurse who beat hard-to-treat cancer says she stayed strong by thinking of herself as a 'survivor'

"Online meetings are convenient and widely available, so they could theoretically support many people who face barriers to in-person attendance, such as young people and rural populations," Sarah Zemore, the study's principal investigator, said in a state