More specifically, there is a literature examining predictors of remission among those with problems who reduced to moderate drinking, and related research on correlates of non-problem drinking in former problem drinkers. Rosenberg’s (Rosenberg, 1993) review found that a key characteristic related to a higher likelihood of relapsing among moderate or “controlled” drinkers included low severity of dependence (e.g., less baseline alcohol consumption, later onset of drinking and first intoxication, fewer dependence symptoms and fewer alcohol-related medical, social, and legal problems). These factors were related to becoming non-problem drinkers in former problem drinkers (Ilgen et al., 2008), as was having lower depression severity. In treatment samples, recent research has found that abstinence goals predicted better alcohol use outcomes (Adamson et al., 2010), with some support for better outcomes in those with lower psychiatric or depression severity and employment problem severity (Ilgen et al., 2008; Rosenberg, 1993).
