One possible explanation for similar alcohol outcomes despite the less favorable prognostic factors among blacks concerns the mechanisms through which good alcohol outcomes are achieved from attendance at formal treatment utilization. These may be different for blacks and whites. In fact, Morgenstern and Bux (Morgenstern and Bux, 2003) found that while blacks had greater, increased affiliation with AA, whites attended more treatment sessions. In addition, McKay et al. (2003) suggest that while whites may recover through standard mechanisms such as increased self-efficacy and attendance at self-help groups, the most important factor in recovery for blacks might be their commitment to abstinence (ibid).
