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.