Prior studies on stability and predictors of remission included general populations, individuals seeking help for alcohol problems, and those in alcohol treatment. Dawson and colleagues (Dawson et al., 2007) examined stability of drinking outcomes over 3 years among individuals remitted from alcohol use disorders in a national general population sample. Abstainers were more likely to maintain their status (77%) than asymptomatic risk drinkers or low risk drinkers (did not exceed NIAAA safe drinking amounts, and had no symptoms of alcohol use disorders). Yet, the large majority of low risk drinkers either maintained low risk drinking (48%) or moved to abstinence (18%) at 3 years. The odds of recurrence of alcohol use disorder symptoms did not differ between low-risk drinkers and abstainers for individuals younger than 35, and the odds of relapse to dependence was not higher for low-risk drinkers younger than 45 than for abstainers (though older non-abstaining individuals had higher odds of relapse than abstainers).
