Reiterating the dubious role of hazardous use as a diagnostic criterion, an overwhelming majority of those who switched from DSM-IV affected to DSM-5 unaffected endorsed hazardous use (27). This is also consistent with our previous publication (28), using the same dataset, demonstrating that abuse due to hazardous use represented a less severe form of alcohol abuse. Consistent with prior research, while these individuals drank more heavily and more frequently than those who remained stably unaffected, they appear to be less involved drinkers than those who remain stably affected, reflecting intermediate vulnerability.
