A recovery-informed critical interpretive synthesis of substance craving measures used in quantitative studies in the Journal of Substance Use, 2001-2020

Background: Although substance craving represents an important construct in the diagnosis of, treatment for, and recovery from substance use disorders, craving can be challenging to measure. Based on the relevance and importance of substance craving in addiction, there is a need to apply a recovery-informed lens and critical review to measures of substance craving. Methods: Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, I conducted a critical interpretive synthesis on objectivist articles that measured substance craving published in the Journal of Substance Use from 2001 to 2020. Results: Of 1635 total articles, eight studies met eligibility criteria. These eight studies used 10 different psychometric inventories to quantitatively measure craving. Applying a recovery-informed lens, I conducted a critical interpretative synthesis of the advantages and disadvantages of the psychometric instruments used to measure craving. Conclusions: The lack of studies measuring craving is indicative of a consequential gap in the literature. A recovery-informed critique of the craving psychometric instruments highlights a dire need for service user involvement in the design of future tools. Ideally, substance craving instruments should be substance-specific and contain subscales to adequately capture multiple domains yet remain relatively brief to avoid induction. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.