As in prior studies (Dawson et al. 2007; Sobell et al. 1996), younger age was also significantly associated with higher odds of non-abstinent recovery. Furthermore, the odds of abstinent recovery increased linearly relative to time in recovery. Here, the combination of older age and length of time in recovery being associated with total abstinence is consistent with past reports that abstinence is the most stable form of remission (Dawson et al. 2007). Notably, these findings suggest that there is a group of non-abstainers that will move towards abstinence as they continue to age. Longitudinal comparisons of non-abstainers and abstainers are crucial for better understanding what kinds of people remain in non-abstinent recovery, as well as how recovery statuses vary over the life course.
