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Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on February 20, 2006
Alcohol and Alcoholism, doi:10.1093/alcalc/agl008
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol. All rights reserved
Received April 19, 2005
Revised January 17, 2006
Accepted January 17, 2006

Article

STABILITY OF REMISSION FROM ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE WITHOUT FORMAL HELP

HANS-JüRGEN RUMPF 1 *, GALLUS BISCHOF 1, ULFERT HAPKE 2, CHRISTIAN MEYER 2, and ULRICH JOHN 2

1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Research Group S:TEP, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
2 Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Addiction Research Center, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
HANS-JüRGEN RUMPF, E-mail: h.rumpf{at}ukl.mu-luebeck.de


  Abstract

Aims: To determine the stability of remission from alcohol dependence without formal help. Methods: In a cohort of untreated remitters, a follow-up after 24 months was conducted. Participants were recruited through media solicitation and via a general population study. At baseline, all participants (n = 144) fulfilled criteria of remission from alcohol dependence for the previous 12 months without prior use of formal help (sustained full remission according to DSM-IV, neither inpatient nor outpatient treatment, no more than two self help group meetings). Personal interviews were conducted using standardized instruments. Results: In the follow-up period, four individuals died; 92.9% of the remaining participants were re-interviewed (n = 130). Of those interviewed 92.3% showed stable remission without formal help, 1.5% were currently alcohol dependent according to DSM-IV, 1.5% were classified alcohol dependent on grounds of collateral information, 1.5% fulfilled one or two criteria of dependence, and 4.6% utilized formal help. Conclusions: Untreated remission is not a transient phenomenon. Therefore, studying remitters from alcohol dependence without formal help can yield valid information on pathways to recovery.


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