Our earlier cross-sectional analysis found that severity of dependence was negatively associated with NR, another finding not replicated in the current study. The significant negative association in the earlier study may result from the outcome measure, type of recovery in the year preceding the Wave 1 interview, not necessarily being the type of recovery first achieved. Within the earlier sample, the increasing ratio of AR to NR over time suggested that some individuals ultimately shifted from NR to AR. If this were disproportionately the case for individuals with severe dependence, who might have the greatest difficulty sustaining moderate drinking, this could have contributed to the previously observed negative association with NR. In the current study, the shorter observation interval of just 3 years likely would have resulted in less switching from NR to AR. The discrepancy also may reflect different measures. The prior study counted lifetime dependence symptoms. The current study included abuse symptoms but measured number of symptoms at baseline, when some lifetime symptoms might not yet have occurred (i.e., those occurring for the first time since the Wave
