Cue Exposure
Cue exposure derives from associative learning theory. It assumes that people, places or events that regularly precede drinking become associated with the pleasant effects of alcohol, and alcohol consumption becomes a conditioned response to these cues. Cue exposure is a specialist treatment intervention and should only be offered by qualified health practitioners.
Cue exposure can be applied with a treatment goal of either abstinence or moderation. The goal of cue exposure is to decrease the likelihood of relapse to drinking by either decreasing the strength of the association between alcohol-related cues and the urge to drink, or increasing the use and effectiveness of coping skills when confronted with alcohol-related cues in daily life. However, it is unclear the extent to which the effectiveness of cue exposure relies on the concurrent training of coping skills. The effectiveness of the cue exposure element is yet to be established.
| Chapter |
Recommendation |
Grade of recommendation |
| 9.6 |
Cue exposure in conjunction with coping skills training may reduce drinking in the longer-term, but may be ineffective in the short-term. There is no evidence that adding cue exposure to an established treatment (e.g., CBT) increases effectiveness. |
C |