Efficacy of moderation-oriented cue exposure for problem drinkers: A randomized controlled trial.

The effectiveness of cue exposure following a priming dose was compared with cognitive-behavioral intervention in a community sample of problem drinkers. Participants were randomly allocated to 1 of the 2 conditions and received a mean of 5.84 (SD = 2.69) sessions. A psychologist blind to treatment condition conducted an 8-month follow-up. Compared with pretreatment levels, significant decreases in alcohol consumption were evident posttreatment and maintained at follow-up for both groups. Reductions in severity of dependence, impaired control, and alcohol-related problems were also evident for both groups at follow-up. No differences in outcome associated with initial severity of alcohol dependence were apparent. The results raise the issue of the appropriateness of reserving a goal of controlled drinking for those with relatively mild alcohol problems and low alcohol dependence.