[Update on current care guidelines: treatment of alcohol abuse]

Brief intervention is an effective form of treatment for excessive alcohol consumption prior to the development of dependency. Motivational interviewing and cognitive therapy are likely to increase the effectiveness of treatment. Another effective method is the Twelve-Step Facilitation treatment programme. Supervised disulfiram medication significantly improves the results achieved with psychosocial therapies alone. Naltrexone increases the number of non-drinking days and reduces relapses compared with a placebo, especially if the medication is combined with psychosocial treatment which is based on cognitive behaviour therapy. Compared with a placebo, acamprosate improves the treatment results achieved with psychosocial therapies alone.