We found that other correlates of mild relapse differed substantially by gender. For example, middle levels of education (e.g., high school diploma, some college) appeared to be protective for men, but there was no effect of educational attainment for women. Similarly, poverty status was associated with increased risk of mild relapse among men, but not for women. In contrast, women had a greater number of distinct risk factors compared to men, including greater lifetime AUD symptom count, being out of the labor force, and being never married. This suggests that tailored assessments of key factors and gender-appropriate supportive interventions may be necessary. However, some factors may not be easily addressed through individual-level interventions. For example, higher-level efforts to increase socio-economic status, such as workforce development interventions or educational policy changes, may improve likelihood of sustained recovery as well as enhance other health outcomes in a given community.
