Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant public health issue that negatively impacts individuals’ flourishing, social relationships, and life satisfaction. In recent years, the concept of recovery has been approached as encompassing not only the reduction or cessation of alcohol use but also the strengthening of positive psychology-based resources such as hope, social support, and developmental flourishing. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups are an important community-based intervention that can contribute to the development of these resources through mutual experience sharing and the 12-step program. This study aims to examine the effect of AA participation on flourishing and the mediating role of hope and perceived social support in this relationship. METHODS: The study, conducted using a cross-sectional comparative design, included 245 participants from all official AA centers operating in Turkey’s seven geographical regions (low participation n = 109; high participation n = 136). Participants completed validated self-report scales: Flourishing Scale, Continuous Hope Scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and DASS-21. Age, depression and stress were controlled as covariates in the analyses. Data were evaluated using MANCOVA and mediation analyses. RESULTS: High levels of AA participation were found to be significantly associated with higher flourishing, hope, and perceived social support; and lower levels of depression and stress. Mediation analyses indicated that hope (indirect effect = 0.75, 95% CI [0.23, 1.29]) and perceived social support (indirect effect = 0.59, 95% CI [0.21, 1.07]) mediated the relationship between AA participation and flourishing. The final model explained 28% of the variance in flourishing (R² = 0.28, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Regular participation in AA is associated with reducing or ceasing alcohol use and with enhanced flourishing by strengthening hope and social support. These results highlight the critical role of positive psychology-based resources in the recovery process from addiction. Furthermore, as the study was conducted using data obtained from all official AA centers in Turkey, it reflects the socio-cultural diversity across the country and offers a unique contribution to the literature. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.