Objective: Fifty years ago, craving was defined as an "urgent and overpowering desire, or irresistible impulse", but subsequently, craving definitions have been modified by many authors and no unique definition of this phenomena, or a consensus in regards to its manifestation and significance exists. This review discusses the contemporary views of alcohol craving. Issues such as definition and different types, dynamics of craving, its mediators and moderators and clinical correlations are explored.
Subjects and methods: We focused on the literature search (MEDLINE, PSYCHLIT, and EMBASE) and new findings in the addiction field, especially paying attention on the study of craving.
Findings: There is growing evidence to suggest that craving is associated with different aspects of addiction (i.e. withdrawal, relapse) and clinical characteristics such as depression and anxiety. These different phenomena contribute individual differences in intensity, frequency and types of craving. At present, there are several different models to better describe the complexity of craving.
Conclusions: Craving is not an exact, precisely measurable value but it is rather an uncertain, descriptive phenomenon. Further research (biological, sociological and psychological) should be orientated primarily toward exploration of the relationship between environmental factors and personality variables and craving and its maintenance, with special attention to gender differences.