No effect of negative mood on the alcohol cue reactivity of in-patient alcoholics

Forty in-patient alcoholics were exposed to an alcohol cue (holding and smelling an alcoholic drink) while in a negative mood, and while in a neutral mood. For the negative mood condition either a distressing or depressing Mood Induction Procedure (MIP) was used. In the control condition, a neutral MIP was used. In the negative mood condition, the subjects were found to be more distressed, more irritated, less calm, and less satisfied than in the neutral mood condition. In all conditions, following exposure to the alcohol cue, the desire to drink, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate variability increased, while self-efficacy beliefs to resist the urge to drink, and heart rate decreased. In sum, alcohol cue reactivity was observed, but not in response to a negative as opposed to a neutral mood or a distressed versus a depressed mood.