Individuals who reported seeking help for their drinking problems were asked whether they had accessed 13 different sources of assistance and when they first got help. Based on prior evidence that the effect of help-seeking varied by source and timing (Dawson et al., 2006a), a five-level variable was constructed: 1) initiated help-seeking, including 12-step, within past 3 years; 2) initiated help-seeking, excluding 12-step, within past 3 years; 3) initiated help-seeking, including 12-step, 3+ years ago; 4) initiated help-seeking, excluding 12-step, 3+ years ago; and 5) no help-seeking prior to baseline.
