Online support groups (e.g., SMART Recovery) are an increasingly common non-professional intervention for people who engage in problematic alcohol use, but it is unclear how they help participants reduce their use.~The primary objective of this study is to determine whether alcohol use decreases more after attending online SMART Recovery psychoeducational support group meetings, as compared to receiving psychoeducational content alone.~The secondary objectives are to identify whether variables such as quality of life and recovery capital (i.e., resources to support recovery from addiction) relate to treatment outcomes.
This study identifies whether and how online support groups may work to confer therapeutic benefits onto its participants.