Alcoholics Anonymous is an example of which type of group described in mental health vocabulary?

• A. Self-help groups
• B. Therapy groups
• C. Support groups
• D. Psychoeducational groups

Answer: (A)

Self-help, peer-led mutual support is the key idea here. Alcoholics Anonymous is organized around people who share a common problem and support each other in maintaining sobriety, with leadership and facilitation coming from fellow members rather than a licensed clinician. The emphasis is on personal experience, storytelling, accountability, and shared strategies, all built through voluntary participation and a non-professional structure. This sets it apart from therapy groups, which are led by trained clinicians and focus on formal treatment goals and techniques; and from psychoeducational groups, which center on teaching information and skills about a condition through a structured curriculum. While support groups can overlap in purpose, AA’s defining feature is its self-directed, peer-driven mutual aid format.