Research & Resources

The current study examined the effects of psychosocial stress on alcohol cravings and alcohol-motivated behaviors in people with alcohol use disorder. Thirty heavy, non-treatment-seeking drinkers completed a comprehensive assessment of recent drinking, mood and health followed by a stress test and a procedure in which subjects worked for money or alcohol. Findings showed that the stress test increased alcohol cravings and rate of response time. Alcohol cravings were associated with a higher amount of drinks earned during the stress session. The study “A paradigm for examining stress effects on alcohol-motivated behaviors in participants with alcohol use disorder,” is published in Addiction Biology. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences supported this research effort.