To drink or not to drink? Assessing conflicting desires in dependent drinkers in treatment.
Reactivity to Alcohol and Neutral Cues was compared in male, inpatient problem drinkers (N = 30). Subjects reported an overall desire not to drink alcohol which decreased in the presence of the Alcohol Cue. There were no cue-specific changes in heart rate, blood pressure and arousal level and a non-significant trend for increased stress in the Alcohol Cue condition. Subgroups of subjects reporting positive and negative desire for alcohol were identified. Subjects who reported negative desire for alcohol in the Alcohol Cue condition also reported greater self-efficacy to resist drinking in the future. These findings have implications for understanding the nature of self-reported desire for alcohol and its potential role in the treatment of alcohol dependence.
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
J D
JD
Greeley
W
W
Swift
N
N
Heather
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001143:Arousal; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003463:Cues; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012903:Smell; D012931:Social Environment