Compromises of integration, specificity and emotional content of self-defining memories in patients with opioid-use disorder

Autobiographical memory plays a major role in the construction of identity. A particular type of memory has been described as more relevant in pursuit of personal goals: self-defining memory (SDM). In patients with opioid-use disorder (OUD), SDM recall has not yet been investigated despite deficits in the retrieval of autobiographical memories. This study aims to characterise SDM recall in OUD patients. Patients (N = 25) and non-dependent individuals (N = 25) were told to recall five SDM and to rate the emotion (valence and arousal) triggered during the retrieval. Specificity, valence, theme, integration and distance in time of the SDM were analysed while controlling for anxiety and depression levels. The SDM construction of the OUD patients was characterised by a lower specificity, more neutral memories and a lower integration, while emotions triggered during retrieval did not differ between the two groups. This may reflect an unsuccessful attempt to disconnect from one's own emotions in the OUD patients. This emotional disconnection and the difficulty of addressing meaning of past events may be due to substance use history coupled with the use of emotional strategies of avoidance. The implications for substance abuse relapse are discussed.