Retention and Efficacy

The Efficacy of LifeRing Secular Recovery

It is difficult to fully capture retention data and abstinence rates because LifeRing is an anonymous recovery community and does not require members to sign in or pay a membership fee. 

 

NATIONAL PEER ALTERNATIVES FOR ADDICTION STUDY

On May 6, 2022, The NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) released its new report Recommend Evidence-Based Treatment: Know the Options. This report reviews the benefits of mutual support groups naming LifeRing in the top three secular support groups and includes data from the Peer Alternatives for Addiction (PAL) Study detailed below. 

LifeRing was invited to participate in the Alcohol Research Group national Peer Alternatives for Addiction (PAL) Study. LifeRing's efficacy was compared to other secular recovery and to Alcoholics Anonymous. This study found that LifeRing is comparable in effectiveness to 12-step programs:

Research suggests that three of the largest known secular groups in the U.S.—SMART Recovery, LifeRing, and Women for Sobriety—appear comparable in effectiveness to 12-step programs for people who have a goal of abstinence. People in any of these mutual help groups have greater success in achieving abstinence if they become actively involved with their group, as measured by, for example, meeting attendance, having a sponsor or close friend in the group, or volunteering for the group.

Responses from study participants show LifeRing members have a greater level of abstinence than other secular recovery programs:

 

Image of Alcohol Research Group national Peer Alternatives for Addiction (PAL) Study graph showing LifeRing as a leader in addiction recovery

NIH:  A Longitudinal Study of the Comparative Efficacy of Women for Sobriety, LifeRing, SMART Recovery, and 12-step Groups for those with AUD

NIH:  Comparison of 12-step Groups to Mutual Help Alternatives for AUD in a Large, National Study: Differences in Membership Characteristics and Group Participation, Cohesion, and Satisfaction

LifeRing was also invited to participate in the PAL2 Study and we look forward to sharing reports resulting from this study when they become available.

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LIFERING MEETINGS PARTICIPATION and RETENTION RATE

LifeRing is recognized by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as a top secular mutual support group and a strong recovery community. LifeRing community members join to empower our sober selves and overcome our substance use challenges. People seeking recovery support find LifeRing and they keep coming back.

Based on the attendance of LifeRing online meeting participants identified by unique IP addresses:

  • LifeRing supports approximately 2,500 unique online meeting members every week
  • The net growth of unique online meeting members is approximately 6.9% year over year
  • 50% of people return after attending their first LifeRing online meeting; and 
  • Returning participants have a 6-month retention rate of approximately 30%
  • 91% of participants would recommend LifeRing to a friend

LifeRing currently offer 100+ weekly online meetings that are complemented by eight active eGroups and other LifeRing online support systems. LifeRing local meetings have grown 11.8% year over year with 8 new Kaiser Permanente meetings in Northern California

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For more information or to speak directly with a LifeRing Representative, please email:  service@lifering.org or call:  800.811.4142

LifeRing Secular Recovery provides an abstinence-based, secular, and self-empowered substance use recovery pathway through our network of 100% peer-run meetings. 
LifeRing is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization - EIN 94-3267919