A nationwide survey of American alcohol and drug craving assessment and treatment practices

Abstract

A four-page paper survey was mailed to 500 randomly-selected substance abuse treatment agencies listed in a national directory to evaluate how often specific methods are employed to assess and treat craving in American substance abuse agencies. Of 426 eligible agencies, 149 (35%), located in 41 states, returned 152 usable replies. Although counselors regularly assessed craving during intake evaluations, they rarely used published self-report questionnaires. Almost one-half of respondents made craving a target of treatment with at least a majority (and sometimes all) of their clients, and only 5% of respondents reported never making craving a target of treatment. A variety of interventions are employed to address craving, including coping skills training, encouraging clients to avoid/leave situations where craving occurs, and providing clients with education about craving. We recommend additional professional education and training to familiarize counselors with standardized craving instruments and exposure interventions that hold promise to ameliorate craving.