The Prevalence, Intensity, and Assessment of Craving for MDMA/Ecstasy in Recreational Users

Abstract

This study evaluated the prevalence, intensity, and correlates of craving for MDMA/ecstasy among recreational users employing a new multi-item, self-report questionnaire reflecting experiences of desire, intention to use, and anticipated loss of control. Using a web-based data collection procedure, we recruited MDMA/ecstasy users (n = 240) to rate their agreement with eight craving statements immediately before and immediately following 90 seconds of exposure to either ecstasy-related or control stimuli. Participants then completed questionnaires to measure ecstasy refusal self-efficacy, passionate engagement in ecstasy use, substance use history, and demographic information. Fifty percent of participants indicated some level of agreement with at least two (out of eight) statements indicative of craving and 30% agreed at some level with six or more such statements. The questionnaire used to assess craving was internally consistent, unidimensional, and had excellent one-week test-retest reliability. Craving scores varied as a function of both cue exposure and frequency of ecstasy use, and were significantly associated with ecstasy-related attitudes. Recreational users of MDMA/ecstasy endorse some experiences indicative of craving for this drug, even though only a minority report intense craving following explicit cue exposure.

Keywords:

• assessment
• craving
• ecstasy
• MDMA
• prevalence

The first author would like to thank his mentor, Harold Rosenberg, and his doctoral committee, Robert Carels, John Tisak, and Melissa Burek. Additionally, we would like to thank Lisham Ashrafioun, Erin Bonar, Stacey Bradbury, and Blaise Morrison for their assistance recruiting participants and proofreading the manuscript. Finally, we want to acknowledge the assistance of the websites who advertised the study and the ecstasy users who took the time to participate.