Dynamic associations between opioid use and anhedonia: A longitudinal study in opioid dependence

Abstract

Background: Anhedonia is a commonly reported symptom among substance-dependent populations that appears to diminish with sustained abstinence. However, previous research has not determined whether anhedonia is dynamically linked to changing patterns of drug use, nor whether it predicts subsequent drug use. Aims: We aimed to test whether changes in illicit opioid use would predict changes in anhedonia, and whether increases in anhedonia would predict further opioid use. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal, observational study, with a convenience sample of 121 participants with current or past-year Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR..