Harvard Gazette – Science & Health/Mind Brain Behavior

Warning Signs of Alcohol-Use Disorder Relapse

Harvard researchers led by John Kelly published a new study identifying early warning signs of alcohol‑use disorder relapse among people with long‑term sobriety. The analysis grouped predictors into biological, psychological, social, and treatment‑support domains, highlighting pain, recreational drug use, anxiety, loneliness, and changes in medication or meeting attendance as potent markers. A checklist derived from patient reports offers clinicians a practical tool to monitor these "recovery vital signs" in primary‑care settings. The findings address a longstanding gap in long‑term relapse research and suggest proactive disease‑management strategies.