알코올 의존 환자에서 신호 노출 치료의 빈도 차이가 음주 욕구의 감소에 미치는 영향

The Effect of Different Frequency of Cue Exposure Treatment on Reduction of Alcohol Craving in Alcoholics

This study was designed to examine the effect of different frequency of cue exposure treatment on reduction of alcohol craving in alcoholics. Male alcoholics who had been admitted to one psychiatric hospital in Pusan were assigned randomly to two groups. In one group the subjects (n＝7) were treated with one session of cue exposure treatment everyday for 19 days, and in the other group the subjects (n＝8) were treated with three consecutive sessions of cue exposure treatment every three days for 19 days. The alcohol craving was reported by the subjects in both groups after 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th and 19th session of cue exposure treatment. The results were as follows：1) There are no difference between two groups in the reduction of alcohol craving by cue exposure treatment. 2) While in the group treated with one session of cue exposure treatment everyday, the alcohol craving after 16th session was significantly reduced compared with it after 1th session, in the group treated with three consecutive sessions of cue exposure treatment every three days, the alcohol craving after 19th session was significantly reduced compared with it after 1th session. From these results, it is suggested that treating alcohol dependent patients witth three consecutive sessionsof cue exposure treatment every three days is more cost-effective than treating them with one session of cue exposure treatment everyday.