Music as an auditory cue for emotions and cravings in adults with substance use disorders

Abstract

Music is commonly found in substance using contexts yet little is known about whether music acts as an auditory cue for emotions and cravings that might lead to substance use. The current study addressed two questions: first, whether individuals in treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) show different emotional responses to music compared to matched controls, and second, whether music listening can increase and reduce cravings to use substances in individuals with SUD. Participants were 19 adults in residential treatment for SUD and 19 healthy adults matched for age and gender (both samples had a mean age of 31 years and 53% males). There were significant between-group differences in emotional response to relaxing, happy, and sad music – in particular, participants with SUD showed a dampened response to happy music. Furthermore, after listening to a participant-selected song related to their substance use, individuals with SUD experienced an increase in cravings, while after listening to a nominated abstinent song, there was a decrease in cravings. These results show that music may act as a mild auditory cue for emotions and cravings in adults with SUD. Potential uses of music in SUD treatment are discussed, such as musical stimuli for cue exposure.