Effects of caving self-report measurement on desire for heroin in opiod dependent subjects

DE JONG, C.; GONGORA, V.; ENGELHARDT, P; BRETELER, M.

SUBSTANCE USE AND MISUSE

Taylor & Francis

Lugar: Philadelphia; Año: 2006 vol. 41 p. 1695 - 1704

1082-6084

This study aims to investigate whether the administration of questionnaires measuring subjective craving induces more craving for opiates compared to questionnaires measuring other subjective states. The sample was composed of 53 patients that were treated in 2003 as inpatients and outpatients for their opioid dependence syndrome. Participants were assigned randomly into four groups. Both, a craving and negative affect condition, were presented to each group. The administration of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) preceded and followed each condition. Findings of the present study show that the administration of questionnaires measuring instant as well as general craving does not have a distinctive effect on measures of unidimensional craving compared to a questionnaire focused on anxiety and depression states.