Recovery from AUD has been studied extensively, and there does not appear to be a single—or simple—mechanism underlying stable remission. Broad trends by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are well recognized. For example, adult role transitions, such as marriage and parenthood, appear to prompt untreated resolution of problem drinking (Lee et al., 2015, Lee and Sher, 2018, Staff et al., 2010), while female gender and minority race/ethnicity have been associated with decreased likelihood of recovery due to lower utilization of treatment services (Alvanzo et al., 2014, Gilbert et al., 2019, Ilgen et al., 2011, Tucker et al., 2020, Zemore et al., 2014). Studies of general population samples using prospective designs have found a wide variety of behavioral, psychological, and demographic factors associated with recovery, with considerable variation by gender and recovery type, such as abstinence versus moderated drinking (Dawson et al., 2012, Edens et al., 2008, Fan et al., 2019, Schuckit and Smith, 2011).
