Prospective studies of recovery in general population samples, arguably the least susceptible to recall and detection bias, are rare. One such study was the NESARC, in which Wave 1 respondents interviewed in 2001-2002 were reinterviewed in 2004-2005. In a recent study of individuals with Wave 1 past-year alcohol dependence, the proportion still dependent at the three-year Wave 2 follow-up was highest for the chronic severe subtype, characterized by elevated familial alcoholism, psychopathology and other substance use and substance use disorders (SUD) at baseline. However, there were no significant differences among subtypes in the proportions who had achieved AR or NR by Wave 2 (Moss et al., 2010). In a long-term follow-up study of middle-aged community residents, female gender, shorter duration of alcohol problems, fewer and less severe symptoms, lower volume and frequency of consumption and lower peer approval of drinking were positively associated with remission of alcohol problems. Individuals with stable AR had more alcohol problems, higher rates of depression, lower incomes and more financial stress at baseline and were more likely to have accessed formal treatment and Alcoholics Anonymous
