After each participant’s initial testing, follow-up assessments were conducted at 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 years. No subject was lost to follow-up, i.e., unreachable throughout this decade of participation, reflecting our protocol to attain strong retention (33). There was 98% (186/190) retention of the sample, with one death and three study dropouts. The follow-up assessments included internet or mailed surveys and a telephone or in-person SCID interview to determine AUD symptoms. The main outcome from these assessments was the presence (AUD+) or absence (AUD−) of the disorder in the last year of follow-up. Twenty-one percent of participants (n=39) met DSM-5 criteria for AUD at year 10, forming the AUD+ group. Of these, 20 met criteria for mild AUD, 10 moderate, and 9 severe AUD. The remaining 79% did not meet AUD criteria and comprised the AUD− group. Of these, 124 reported no AUD symptoms and 21 reported one symptom. Reviewing the prior 10 years, the AUD+ group showed more AUD symptoms than the AUD− group, and reported heavier drinking (Figure 1A).
