Consistency of reported levels of alcohol-related problems in the community.

Regular drinkers identified in a general population survey of adults in the Lothian region were followed up 3 or 4 years later, with respect to alcohol-related problems. Using a variety of analytic methods, a moderate degree of temporal consistency in problems was found, for total number of problems, and for individual problems, with feeling ashamed of having done something while drunk being the most consistent.