Chunk #16 — 1 Definitions and Conceptual Framework for Reward Deficit in Alcoholism — 1.1 Theoretical Framework: Motivation, Withdrawal, and Opponent Process
withdrawal, the Beck Depression Inventory score was at 15 at withdrawal and remained at 12.8 two days into withdrawal and at 9.4 two weeks post-withdrawal (de Timary et al. 2008). Similar results were obtained for anxiety measures (Potokar et al. 1997; de Timary et al. 2008). In another study with a long-term follow-up of 6 months after a 4-week inpatient detoxification. Beck Depression Inventory scores remained at approximately 6, and trait anxiety scores (STAI-X2) remained above 33 even in subjects without comorbid anxiety or depression (Driessen et al. 2001). Independent of comorbidity status, individuals who relapsed had higher trait anxiety scores than those who abstained (Driessen et al. 2001). Thus, although alcoholics show significant decreases in measures of depression and anxiety during withdrawal, there is a measurable level of depression-like symptoms that persist long after acute withdrawal into protracted abstinence that may be clinically (treatment) relevant.
