Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2024 Jul 13:S2451-9022(24)00172-1. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.06.014. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUD) are associated with severe negative social and health-related outcomes. Evidence accumulates that chronic substance use is associated with alterations in social interaction behavior, which likely contributes to the vicious circle of SUD. However, little is known if these social problems originate from contextual factors only or also from the substance use itself – in other words, if they are predisposed or substance-induced.

METHODS: We study the causation behind behavioral alterations of substance users over a 9-year period (from age 11 to 20) in an urban age cohort (n=1,002) with high prevalence of substance use at age 20. We identify common substance use patterns using toxicological hair analysis, examine behavioral alterations with incentivized games, and use teacher assessments across different ages to determine the causes and effects behind substance use-related impairments in social interaction.

RESULTS: We find that opioid and stimulant users reveal reduced prosocial behavior compared to nonusers, particularly in interpersonal trust and perspective-taking (e.g., they are ∼50 percent less likely to trust others). Our longitudinal analyses suggest a causal relationship between the non-medical use of prescription opioids and impaired social behavior, whereas impairments among stimulant users seem to be partially predisposed. Moreover, women tend to be more severely affected by opioid use than men. However, no behavioral alterations were found among young adult cannabis or ecstasy users.

CONCLUSION: Highly addictive substances such as opioids can impair users’ social behavior by undermining fundamental human interaction fueling a vicious circle of substance use and social isolation.

PMID:39009135 | DOI:10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.06.014