Premium
Remission of Late‐Life Drinking Problems: A 4‐ Year Follow‐up
Author(s) -
Schutte Kathleen K.,
Brennan Penny L.,
Moos Rudolf H.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1994.tb00048.x
Subject(s) - abstinence , context (archaeology) , depression (economics) , stressor , psychiatry , psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , paleontology , biology , economics , macroeconomics
This 4‐year follow‐up study compared stably remitted late‐life problem drinkers to nonremitted problem drinkers and nonproblem drinkers. At time 1, to‐be‐remitted drinkers reported less alcohol consumption and fewer drinking problems, more depression and less self‐confidence, less spousal support and approval of drinking from friends, and more help‐seeking than did to‐be‐nonremitted drinkers. Remitted drinkers showed improvement in functioning and life context at the 4‐year follow‐up, but compared with nonproblem drinkers some deficits persisted. Stable remission and abstinence among late‐onset drinkers were closely tied to receiving less spousal support and approval from friends for drinking at time 1, whereas helpseeking was a strong predictor of stable remission and abstinence among early‐onset problem drinkers. For both late‐ and early‐onset drinkers, abstinence was predicted by initially having more drinking problems, depression, and health stressors.