Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) represent a significant public health concern in the United States. Residential treatment is an effective modality for individuals with moderate to severe SUDs; however, premature discontinuation is associated with increased risk for negative outcomes, including overdose. Substance use craving is a key predictor of treatment discontinuation, yet factors related to craving in residential contexts are not fully understood. Social anxiety is associated with greater craving, particularly in contexts involving perceived social evaluation. Self-esteem may moderate this relationship, as lower self-esteem is associated with greater craving, and may relate to greater craving in contexts involving perceived social evaluation. Notably, implicit and explicit self-esteem may differentially relate to craving, reflecting automatic versus controlled self-evaluative processes. However, to our knowledge, this is the first known study to test whether social anxiety and self-esteem (implicit, explicit) were associated with craving, and whether self-esteem moderated the relationship between social anxiety and craving in an all-male 28-day residential SUD treatment facility. Participants (N = 55) completed a survey and a computer-based task assessing implicit self-esteem. Higher social anxiety and lower explicit (but not implicit) self-esteem were significantly related to greater craving. Neither implicit nor explicit self-esteem statistically significantly moderated the association between social anxiety and craving. However, explicit self-esteem significantly mediated the association between social anxiety and craving. Taken together, findings indicate that social anxiety and explicit self-esteem represent relevant correlates of craving in residential SUD treatment. These findings may inform intervention and treatment efforts targeting craving in residential SUD treatment.
Date
7-8-2026
Recommended Citation
Scherzer, Caroline R., "Substance Use Craving Following Detoxification During Community-Based Residential Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: The Influences of Social Anxiety and Self-Esteem" (2026). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 7130.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/7130
Committee Chair
Buckner, Julia
LSU Acknowledgement
1
LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment
1