Differences between abstinent and non-abstinent individuals in recovery from alcohol use disorders.
paper
Cited
Public
- Authors
- Subbaraman, Meenakshi Sabina; Witbrodt, Jane
- Year
- 2014
- Journal
- Addictive behaviors
- PMID
- 25117850
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.07.010
- PMCID
- PMC4164587
OBJECTIVE: Non-abstinent goals can improve quality of life (QOL) among individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). However, prior studies have defined "recovery" based on DSM criteria, and thus may have excluded individuals using non-abstinent techniques that do not involve reduced drinking. Furthermore, no prior study has considered length of time in recovery when comparing QOL between abstinent and non-abstinent individuals. The current aims are to identify correlates of non-abstinent recovery and examine differences in QOL between abstainers and non-abstainers accounting for length of time in recovery. SAMPLE: A large (N=5380) national sample of individuals who self-describe as "in recovery" from alcohol problems recruited in the context of the What Is Recovery? (WIR) study. METHOD: Multivariate stepwise regressions estimating the probability of non-abstinent recovery and average quality of life. RESULTS: Younger age (OR=0.72), no prior treatment (OR=0.63) or AA (OR=0.32), fewer dependence symptoms (OR=0.17) and less time in recovery all significantly (P<0.05) related to non-abstinent recovery. Abstainers reported significantly (P<0.05) higher QOL than non-abstainers (B=0.39 for abstinence vs. non-abstinence), and abstinence was one of the strongest correlates of QOL, even beyond sociodemographic variables like education. CONCLUSIONS: Non-abstainers are younger with less time in recovery and less problem severity but worse QOL than abstainers. Clinically, individuals considering non-abstinent goals should be aware that abstinence may be best for optimal QOL in the long run. Furthermore, time in recovery should be accounted for when examining correlates of recovery.
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| Name | Type |
|---|---|
| 12 step local | phenotype |
| 12-step group attendance local | phenotype |
| 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions local | cohort |
| AA | cohort |
| AA exposure local | phenotype |
| abstainers | phenotype |
| abstinence | phenotype |
| abstinent recovery | phenotype |
| age | phenotype |
| alcohol | phenotype |
| alcohol dependence | phenotype |
| Alcoholics Anonymous | drug |
| Alcoholics Anonymous attendance local | phenotype |
| Alcohol Use Disorder | phenotype |
| alcohol use disorders | phenotype |
| Asymptomatic drinking local | phenotype |
| AUD | phenotype |
| beer | drug |
| caffeine | drug |
| Canadian general population surveys local | cohort |
| Continued dependence local | phenotype |
| Controlled drinking local | phenotype |
| Crack dependence local | phenotype |
| current dependence diagnoses local | phenotype |
| drug | drug |
| drug dependence | phenotype |
| drugs | drug |
| DSM alcohol dependence symptoms local | phenotype |
| DSM-IV | phenotype |
| DSM-IV alcohol dependence severity local | phenotype |
| DSM-IV diagnostic criteria local | phenotype |
| DSM-IV lifetime dependence symptoms local | phenotype |
| Economic outcome local | phenotype |
| education | phenotype |
| employed | phenotype |
| employment | phenotype |
| ethanol consumption | phenotype |
| Family outcome local | phenotype |
| family/social severity local | phenotype |
| Formal treatment local | phenotype |
| Formal treatment attendance local | phenotype |
| general population samples | cohort |
| Harmful drinkers local | phenotype |
| Harmful Drinkers local | phenotype |
| Harm reduction local | phenotype |
| Harm reduction techniques local | phenotype |
| health | phenotype |
| Health outcome local | phenotype |
| heavy drinking | phenotype |
| Heavy Episodic Drinkers local | phenotype |
| help-seeking local | phenotype |
| Help-seeking local | phenotype |
| Hispanic | phenotype |
| individuals self-describing as in recovery local | cohort |
| Kline‑Simon study local | cohort |
| large general population local | cohort |
| large outpatient treatment sample local | cohort |
| Laudet 2007 study local | cohort |
| Length of recovery local | phenotype |
| length of stay in treatment local | phenotype |
| length of time in recovery local | phenotype |
| lifetime dependence local | phenotype |
| Lifetime DSM-IV dependence diagnosis local | phenotype |
| light drinkers | phenotype |
| Long-term recovery local | phenotype |
| Long-term recovery individuals local | cohort |
| low-risk drinkers local | phenotype |
| Low-risk drinkers local | phenotype |
| marital status | phenotype |
| medical outcomes | phenotype |
| National Alcohol Survey local | cohort |
| National Alcohol Survey 2005 local | cohort |
| National Alcohol Survey 2010 local | cohort |
| natural recovery local | phenotype |
| NESARC | cohort |
| NESARC 2001–02 local | cohort |
| NESARC 2004–05 local | cohort |
| nicotine | drug |
| Non-abstainer local | phenotype |
| Non-abstainers local | cohort |
| non-abstinence local | phenotype |
| Non-abstinence local | phenotype |
| non-abstinent goals local | phenotype |
| non-abstinent recovery | phenotype |
| Non-abstinent remission local | phenotype |
| Non-White local | phenotype |
| older age group local | cohort |
| outpatient treatment study local | cohort |
| Persons in Recovery from AUD local | cohort |
| pharmacotherapy local | phenotype |
| psychiatric outcomes | phenotype |
| psychiatric severity local | phenotype |
| psychological function | phenotype |
| quality of life | phenotype |
| race/ethnicity | phenotype |
| recovery | phenotype |
| Recovery goals local | phenotype |
| Recovery group 10-20 years local | cohort |
| Recovery group <1 year local | cohort |
| Recovery group 20+ years local | cohort |
| Recovery group 5-10 years local | cohort |
| remission | phenotype |
| secondary analysis study local | cohort |
| sex | phenotype |
| Social outcome local | phenotype |
| spirits | drug |
| Substance use disorder severity local | phenotype |
| Successful quitting | phenotype |
| time in recovery local | phenotype |
| treatment | phenotype |
| treatment samples | cohort |
| twelve-step attendance local | phenotype |
| unemployment | phenotype |
| What Is Recovery? sample local | cohort |
| What Is Recovery? study local | cohort |
| What Is Recovery? (WIR) study local | cohort |
| White race | phenotype |
| wine | drug |
| WIR sample local | cohort |
| WIR study local | cohort |
| WIR survey local | cohort |
| younger age group local | cohort |
| younger cohort | cohort |
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| Title | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|
| Familial association of abstinent remission from alcohol use disorder in first-degree relatives of alcohol-dependent treatment-seeking probands. | 2017 | 28556494 |
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