Inpatient Desire to Drink as a Predictor of Relapse to Alcohol Use Following Treatment

Cravings for alcohol are identified as a trigger for relapse, though laboratory studies of cravings produce mixed results in predicting relapse. The objective of this analysis is to assess the usefulness of craving as a predictor of relapse by assessing 218 adult, alcohol-dependent patients admitted to two separate residential addiction treatment programs. Days craving reported in the week prior to discharge predicted alcohol use at three-month follow-up. Admission spirituality, alcohol-refusal self-efficacy, and depression levels differentiated cravers from non-cravers. Patients who crave alcohol in residential treatment may be at higher relapse risk and identified by intake assessments of self-efficacy, depression, and spirituality.