A Comparison among Emotional Memory, Emotional Styles, and Anxiety Sensitivity between Individuals with Substance Use Disorder and not Addicted People

Emotions play an important role in the tendency to abuse substances but the roles of emotional memory, emotional styles, and anxiety sensitivity in addiction have not been clarified in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to study the emotional memory, emotional styles, and anxiety sensitivity among individuals with substance use disorder.

In a prospective study, 30 patients with substance use disorder and 30 normal participants were selected by convenience sampling method from addicts who were hospitalized and outpatients who were admitted to addiction treatment camps of Ahar City. The emotional memory (verbal) test, the emotional styles questionnaire, and Anxiety Sensitivity Index- Revised (ASI-R) were used for data collection.

Multivariate analysis of variance showed that there is a significant difference between the levels of emotional memory (verbal positive, negative, and neutral) and the components of emotional styles (concealing, adjusting, and tolerating) among addicted and normal individuals. However, in anxiety sensitivity, the differences between addicted and normal individuals are not significant.

Based on these findings, it can be concluded that emotional memory and emotional styles can be influential factors in the tendency toward substance use.