Management of Cravings and Relapse Risk in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder in Korea: Analysis of Needs for Mobile Applications Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess and analyze the needs of Korean patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) as a preliminary step for developing a cognitive behavioral therapy-based mobile application to manage cravings and relapse risk in these patients. METHODS: Between July and August 2023, 20 patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital were interviewed for at least 3 wk, and data from the interviews were analyzed using the content analysis method. RESULTS: Needs were classified into four domains: education, cognition and motivation, behavior, and coping with high-risk situations. In the education domain, participants expressed a need for continued information on the negative effects of alcohol on physical health. In the cognitive and motivational domain, participants expressed a desire for messages that enhanced their self-efficacy. In the behavior domain, respondents indicated that the application should include functions to help manage emotions and stress and encourage exercise. In the coping with high-risk situation domain, they reported that the application should provide notifications of Alcoholics Anonymous meeting schedules, opportunities to share experiences, and options for commenting or chatting to receive social support. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, we propose directions for developing mobile applications to manage AUDs. Patient-centered applications can be designed using our findings. Furthermore, periodically assessing patient needs to modify and supplement the application, even after its development, can facilitate effective management of cravings and relapse risk.