Associations among interpretation bias, craving, and abstinence self-efficacy in adults with substance use disorders

Interpretation bias is a crucial therapeutic target in emotional disorders. However, few studies have examined the role of interpretation bias in substance use disorders (SUDs). Our specific aims were: (1) to examine whether interpretation bias was associated with craving and abstinence self-efficacy, and (2) explore potential moderators of these associations, including anxiety severity, sex, and substance type.

Adults attending an inpatient SUD treatment program (N = 224; mean age = 38.95; 67% male/33% female; 68% primary alcohol use disorder/29% primary opioid use disorder) completed the Word-Sentence Association Paradigm (WSAP) with ambiguous situations related to general anxiety domains (e.g., daily stress, health, relationships), as well as measures of craving (Craving Scale), abstinence self-efficacy (Brief Situational Confidence Scale), and anxiety symptoms (Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale [OASIS] and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3).

Negative interpretation bias was modestly associated with more craving (r = .23, p =  .001) and less confidence to resist using substances (r = -0.23, p =  .001). In multiple linear regression models that included the anxiety measures, interpretation bias was the most robust predictor of craving and abstinence self-efficacy. Sex (N = 224) and substance type (opioid vs. alcohol; n = 219) did not moderate these relationships.

These findings suggest that interpretation bias might be an important individual difference within SUD populations.