Predicting craving among cocaine users.
BACKGROUND
Craving for cocaine seems to play an important role in the continued use of and dependence on the substance.


OBJECTIVE
to describe characteristics of the craving phenomenon in a sample of cocaine users and to identify those that could predict the appearance of the phenomenon.


METHODS
205 cocaine users attending an outpatient clinic were interviewed to assess patterns of drug consumption and characteristics of craving for the drug.


RESULTS
Subjects were mostly young (24.8+/-12.8 years) and male (86.2%). One hundred and two subjects (49.8%) were addicted to cocaine and the remainders (50.2%) were non-addicted occasional cocaine users. The majority of subjects (60.5%) reported having had craving episodes during the previous week. Frequency of cocaine use during the previous month correlated with the number of reported craving fits (r=0.425; p<0.001) and with the duration of the craving fits (r=0.351; p<0.001). Users of crack reported more craving episodes than did the users of snorted cocaine (p<0.001) and the frequency of craving fits was inversely proportional to the duration of abstinence from the drug (r=-0.405; p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Both the method of drug consumption and the abstinence period elapsed since previous drug intake were identified as predictive parameters of craving.
PROAD -- Department of Psychiatry of the Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Florida 320, 04565-000 Sao Paulo, Brazil. dartiu@psiquiatria.epm.br
Dartiu Xavier
DX
Da Silveira
Evelyn
E
Doering-Silveira
Marcelo
M
Niel
Miguel Roberto
MR
Jorge
D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
D016578:Crack Cocaine; D003042:Cocaine