The phenomenon of relapse in alcoholism

an integrative review of international scientific publications (2004-2009)

Abstract

This review presents an overview of recent research on alcoholism in order to characterize the predominant types of research. From the Scopus database, searches were conducted using the keywords "relapse" and "alcohol". The articles were classified according to the theoretical and methodological approach used. Quantitative studies are prevalent, however, in relation to the theoretical approach, the cognitive-behavioral, neurological and epidemiological approaches stand out, which indicates a predominance of the biomedical perspective. In this perspective are discussed both the limitations of the studies and the effectiveness of treatments which are based on them, reinforcing the need for greater investment in qualitative research and in the assimilation of the contribution of social sciences to the subject.