Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume 86, Issue 1 , Pages 46-54, 5 January 2007

Protective resources and long-term recovery from alcohol use disorders

  • Rudolf H. Moos

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Center for Health Care Evaluation (152-MPD), VA Health Care System, 795 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 94025, United States. Tel.: +1 650 614 9892; fax: +1 650 617 2690.
    • ,
  • Bernice S. Moos

Center for Health Care Evaluation, Department of Veterans Affairs and Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States

Received 10 January 2006; received in revised form 24 April 2006; accepted 27 April 2006.

Abstract 

Aims

This study examined indices of personal and social resources drawn from social learning, behavioral economics, and social control theories as predictors of medium- and long-term alcohol use disorder outcomes.

Design and measures

Individuals (N=461) who initiated help-seeking for alcohol-related problems were surveyed at baseline and 1, 3, 8, and 16 years later. At baseline and each follow-up, participants provided information about their personal and social resources and alcohol-related and psychosocial functioning.

Findings

In general, protective resources associated with social learning (self-efficacy and approach coping), behavioral economics (health and financial resources and resources associated with Alcoholics Anonymous), and social control theory (bonding with family members, friends, and coworkers) predicted better alcohol-related and psychosocial outcomes. A summary index of protective resources associated with all three theories significantly predicted remission. Protective resources strengthened the positive influence of treatment on short-term remission and partially mediated the association between treatment and remission.

Conclusions

Application of social learning, behavior economic, and social control theories may help to identify predictors of remission and thus to allocate treatment more efficiently.

Keywords: Alcohol, Personal resources, Social resources, Treatment, Remission

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PII: S0376-8716(06)00182-7

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.04.015

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume 86, Issue 1 , Pages 46-54, 5 January 2007

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