Association Between Negative Affectivity and Craving in Substance-Related Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Direct and Indirect Relationships

Abstract

Background A sizeable literature highlighted that negative affectivity and craving are both known to be implicated in relapses. Objectives The present study synthetized the existing litterature to determine strength of the interaction between negative affectivity and craving for substance-related disorders including illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Methods We conducted a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines followed by a meta-analysis. Online computer databases PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched systematically and thoroughly. Jamovi 1.8.1 Current version was used to conduct meta-analysis. Results Thirty studies were included in the review, and 14 of these, including 2257 subjects, were used for meta-analysis. The raw correlation ranged from 0.17 to 0.58, which indicated weak to moderate association between negative affects and craving. In total, approximately 90% of the selection revealed a positive correlation between negative affects and craving. Alcohol and tobacco use disorders have received the most attention. Additionally, negative affectivity was often defined as a transient state rather than a stable personality trait. Conclusions In both of our meta-analyses and in the narratively reported studies, we found that negative affectivity is an important component related to craving, but individual differences in craving reactivity existed.