In summary, correlates of recovery from alcohol dependence in general population samples show wide variation, reflecting differences in study design (cross-sectional vs. prospective), study population (individuals with lifetime vs. past-year dependence), the time frame over which recovery is assessed (from first onset of dependence vs. from date of interview), sample characteristics (as influenced by inclusion criteria and attrition), and the range of potential correlates considered. In an attempt to address this lack of consensus, the present paper has two broad aims. The first is to augment the scant data on prospective correlates of recovery from alcohol dependence by examining recovery over a 3-year follow-up interval, using two waves of data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. The second is to compare our findings with prior analyses of lifetime data collected in the first wave of interviews with the same sample, speculating on how differences in the factors noted above may have contributed to discrepant findings.
