Face-to-face mutual-aid meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous shuttered with the onset of COVID-19. Research could not be conducted quickly enough to provide guidance for how to respond. However, two powerful tools could be leveraged: the research on mutual aid conducted before the pandemic and the vast number of virtual resources that proliferated with the onset of the pandemic. This article reviews the existing mutual aid research and its relevance to COVID-19, describes the diverse array of virtual resources, and provides recommendations for successful engagement with virtual mutual aid during COVID-19 and beyond.
Keywords: 12-step; Alcoholics Anonymous; COVID-19; LifeRing; Narcotics Anonymous; SMART recovery; Women for Sobriety; addiction; mutual aid; recovery; substance use disorders.