Assessment tools and factors associated with relapse among patients with alcohol use disorders: A narrative review

Abstract

Alcohol is a highly addictive substance, and long-term alcohol consumption can lead to mental disorders. Many patients with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) often relapse shortly after receiving treatment following a brief period of abstinence. Identifying the factors influencing relapse is crucial for follow-up treatment and nursing. At present, academic research on AUD and relapse primarily focuses on summarizing clinical symptoms and drug and non-drug treatment methods, with limited analysis of the factors that contribute to relapse. This paper reviews the current understanding of AUD and relapse, along with the assessment tools used, and examines the factors influencing relapse. The aims are to identify key relapse factors in patients with AUD after abstinence and to provide guidance for relevant research, as well as for developing individualized treatment and care plans.

Keywords

Alcohol use disorder / Relapse / Influencing factors

Funding

None.

Conflict of interest

Shen Xinhua is an Editorial Board Member of this journal but was not involved in any way in the editorial or peer-review process for this paper, either directly or indirectly. Separately, the other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

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