Moos earned the award for his study, "Rates and predictors of relapse after natural and treated remission from alcohol use disorders," published in a 2006 issue of the journal Addiction (Vol. 101, pages 212-222). The study found that individuals with alcohol use disorders who participated in treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous within the first year of recognizing their problem were much more likely to stay sober for the long term than individuals who didn't receive help via treatment or AA.

"I'm surprised and honored to receive this award," said Moos, who teamed with his wife, Bernice S. Moos, on the study. "I had heard of the Dan Anderson Research Award and the many esteemed honorees from the past. I am very grateful for the recognition."

In his study, Moos compared three-year remission rates and subsequent 16-year relapse rates for a group of individuals who entered treatment or AA within the first year of seeking help and for a group of individuals that similarly recognized their alcohol problem but did not get help from treatment or AA. Study participants were contacted by phone at 1, 3, 8 and 16 years after entering the study.

Two key findings: (1) After the three-year follow-up, 62.4 percent of participants who received help within the first year remitted (or stayed sober), while only 43.4 percent of the group that got no help remitted. (2) At the 16-year follow-up, among the group that had put their alcohol problems into remission, 60.5 percent of the no-help group relapsed, while 42.9 percent of the remitters who got help relapsed.

"A difference of 15 to 20 percent is very significant," said Moos. "Our study indicates that if an individual recognizes an alcohol problem and gets into treatment or AA relatively soon after that, then they are much more likely to be remitted after three years and to stay remitted after 16 years."

Moos said his findings help prove that "natural remission," a term used to describe individuals who get sober without help, "may be less stable than remission that is associated with obtaining help. Our findings on the benefits of relatively rapid entry into treatment and/or AA support the value of strengthening the referral process for individuals who recognize their alcohol problems and initiate help-seeking," said Moos. "Those gatekeepers or first-responders who do the initial assessments of people with alcohol problems need to be aware of the important role they can play up front. Assessing help-seekers' readiness for change may help target high-risk individuals for interventions. Motivational Interviewing techniques could help guide those individuals to treatment or AA."

"A long-term study like this one is very rare and helps us better understand the factors related to sustaining positive outcomes," said Valerie Slaymaker, Ph.D., director of the Butler Center for Research. "The Scientific Panel that selected Moos for the award was highly impressed by his effort to collect 8- and 16-year outcomes, and by the message that help-seeking can make a remarkable difference in an individual's life up to 16 years later."

Moos has been the recipient of many awards during his distinguished career, including the prestigious R. Bradley Smithers Distinguished Scientist Award, given by the American Society of Addiction Medicine in 2006. Moos will accept the award and a $2,000 honorarium on May 21 at the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) conference in San Diego. The award is named for Dan Anderson, Ph.D., the former president of Hazelden and one of the major architects of the Minnesota Model, the multidisciplinary approach to addiction treatment that has been replicated worldwide. Anderson died on Feb. 19, 2003 at age 81.

Moos's research was selected as the best from among several outstanding candidates by the nine-member Scientific Panel of the Butler Center for Research. The panel includes Slaymaker; Dennis Donovan, Ph.D., University of Washington; Carlton Erickson, Ph.D., University of Texas-Austin; James McKay, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; Timothy Sheehan, Ph.D., Hazelden; Candice Walker, Ph.D., Hazelden; Constance Weisner, Ph.D., University of California-San Francisco; and Ken Winters, Ph.D., University of Minnesota.

Past award winners include Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., of Behavior Therapy Associates in Albuquerque; Stephanie O'Malley, Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine; Howard A. Liddle, Ed.D., University of Miami; Robert J. Meyers, Ph.D., University of New Mexico; Bankole Johnson, M.D., University of Texas Health Science Center; Henri Begleiter, Ph.D., State University of New York; Richard Longabaugh, Ed.D., Brown University; Dace Svikis, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; Michael Fiore, M.D., University of Wisconsin; and Stephen T. Higgins, Ph.D., University of Vermont.

Recognizing outstanding research and conducting research of its own are the primary objectives of the Butler Center for Research, the research arm of Hazelden. To learn more call 1-800-257-7810.