The social contexts accompanying remission patterns in this high-risk sample resemble those found in population-based and clinical samples. Low-risk drinkers resemble natural remitters from population-based samples who change their drinking habits with life transitions. Abstainers resemble clinical samples in marital context, support from friends, and treatment, and high-risk drinkers appear to continue to experience negative consequences of heavy drinking. The social context of remission appears to be as important in this sample with high familial risk for AUD as it is in population-based and clinical samples. Future work will examine whether the remission status of family members is associated with the remission status of subjects, and how these relate to social context.
