OLDER ADULT CONTROLLED DRINKERS AND ABSTAINERS

Little is known about the lifetime course of alcohol problems, especia lly during late adulthood Many individuals with a history of alcohol p roblems achieve remission of their symptoms through abstinence or cont rolled drinking. This study examined 135 older adults with a prior his tory of alcohol diagnoses who were symptom free for at least the past year. Two groups were identified based on their alcohol consumption wi thin th, past year: abstinent individuals (n = 92) and controlled drin kers (n = 43). The groups did not differ in age, racial composition, e ducation, income, or years since their last alcohol-related symptom, b ut they did differ in gender composition, indices of alcoholism severi ty, history of formal and informal treatment, as well as lifetime alco hol consumption patterns. Abstinent individuals had more severe alcoho l problems, consumed higher amounts of alcohol on drinking days, had m ore years of heavy alcohol consumption, and were more likely to have a ttended alcohol treatment and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The controlle d drinkers had a longer history of moderate social drinking, and their current consumption habits appeared to be similar to symptom-free old er adult drinkers. The results suggest that gender, alcoholism severit y, history of formal and informal treatment, and past consumption patt erns are associated with whether older adults with histories of alcoho lism attain successful outcomes through abstinence or controlled drink ing.