Do substance type and diagnosis make a difference? A study of remission from alcohol- versus drug-use disorders using the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

Objective: This study examined rates of remission from substance-use disorders based on type of disorder (abuse vs dependence), type of substance (alcohol vs other drug), and polysubstance involvement (alcohol or drug vs alcohol and drug).

Method: Participants in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions were included if they met criteria for a prior-to-past-year alcohol- and/ or drug-use disorder (N = 12,297). Odds ratios were computed to examine differences in the rate of remission as of the past year.

Results: Individuals with a prior-to-past-year diagnosis of abuse were more likely to be remitted, compared with those with a diagnosis of dependence. Individuals with both prior-to-past-year alcohol- and drug-use disorders were less likely to be remitted, compared with those with only an alcohol- or drug-use disorder. No differences were observed in remission rates comparing individuals with a prior-to-past-year alcohol-use disorder with those with a drug-use disorder.

Conclusions: The findings support prior research in suggesting a worse prognosis for individuals with a diagnosis of dependence and problematic use of both alcohol and drugs. In contrast with results from treatment samples, these general population data indicate that alcohol-use and drug-use disorders have a similar prognosis.