Racial/Ethnic Differences in Alcohol and Drug Misuse Among IPV-Victimized Women: Exploring the Role of Difficulties Regulating Positive Emotions

Experimental Investigation of the Influence of Positive Emotion Dysregulation on Risky Behavior Following Idiographic Emotion Inductions

An experimental paradigm with subjective and objective assessments was used to further explicate the role of positive emotion dysregulation on risky behavior. Participants were 151 community women currently experiencing intimate partner violence and using substances (Mage = 40.81, 43.0% white). Participants were randomly assigned to positive, negative, and neutral idiographic emotion inductions. Subjective (state self-report) and objective (high frequency heart rate variability [hfHRV], skin conductance response, and salivary cortisol) markers of emotion dysregulation were assessed, following which participants completed subjective (state urges for substances) and objective (Balloon Analogue Risk Task) measures of risky behavior. Results showed (a) greater self-reported state emotion dysregulation and lower hfHRV predicted more urges for substances in the positive (versus negative and neutral) emotion induction conditions; and (b) lower hfHRV predicted more behavioral risk-taking propensity in the positive (versus neutral) emotion induction condition. Findings provide additional support for the influence of positive emotion dysregulation on risky behavior.

Posttraumatic stress disorder strengthens the momentary associations between emotion dysregulation and substance use: a micro-longitudinal study of community women experiencing intimate partner violence

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

A fast-growing body of literature linking emotion dysregulation to substance use has almost exclusively relied on cross-sectional designs and has generally failed to assess dysregulation stemming from positive emotions. The current study measured the momentary associations between both negative and positive emotion dysregulation and substance use, as well as the moderating role of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

DESIGN

Micro-longitudinal momentary data were collected three times per day for 30 days using phone-based interactive voice recording.

SETTING

Northeastern United States.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 145 community women (M, age = 40.56, 40.3% white) experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and using substances were recruited from 2018 until 2020.

MEASUREMENTS

Momentary surveys assessed negative and positive emotion dysregulation and alcohol, drug, and cigarette use. PTSD diagnosis was derived from a structured diagnostic interview.

FINDINGS

Between-person relations that remained significant after covariate adjustment and correction for multiple testing were found for negative emotion dysregulation and both number of drinks (internal rate of return [IRR] = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.93; β = 0.37) and drug use (OR = 3.78; 95% CI = 1.86, 7.69; β = 1.33), and positive emotion dysregulation and number of cigarettes (OR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.82; β = 0.34). Of six interactions tests, PTSD was only shown to moderate the within-person relation between positive emotion dysregulation and drug use, even after controlling for relevant covariates and adjusting for multiple testing (OR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.51; β = 0.23), such that women experiencing intimate partner violence with versus without PTSD were more likely to use drugs when experiencing periods of elevated positive emotion dysregulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Women experiencing intimate partner violence with higher levels of negative dysregulation relative to others may use more alcohol and be more likely to use drugs. Women experiencing intimate partner violence with higher levels of positive dysregulation relative to others may use more cigarettes. Women experiencing intimate partner violence who also have posttraumatic stress disorder may be more likely to use drugs when experiencing momentary elevated levels of positive emotion dysregulation than those who do not also have posttraumatic stress disorder.

Modeling reciprocal relations between emotion dysregulation and alcohol use using dynamic structural equation modeling: A micro-longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Research examining emotion dysregulation and alcohol use has increased exponentially over the past decade. However, these studies have been limited by their use of cross-sectional designs and narrow definitions of emotion dysregulation. To address these significant gaps in the extant literature, this study utilized state-of-the-art methodology (i.e., experience sampling) and statistics (i.e., dynamic structural equation modeling) to examine potential reciprocal associations between negative and positive emotion dysregulation and alcohol use at the momentary level.

METHODS

Participants were 145 community women (mean age = 40.56, 40.3% white) experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and using substances. Surveys assessing negative and positive emotion dysregulation and alcohol use (i.e., number of standard drinks) were administered three times a day for 30 days using phone-based interactive voice recording.

RESULTS

Significant contemporaneous effects indicated that negative and positive emotion dysregulation both co-occurred with alcohol use. However, levels of negative and positive emotion dysregulation did not predict later alcohol use, nor did alcohol use predict later levels of negative or positive emotion dysregulation. There was significant variability among participants in cross-lagged effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings showed that negative and positive emotion dysregulation co-occurred with alcohol use and that there was significant interindividual variability in the cross-lagged associations between negative and positive emotion dysregulation and alcohol use. Research using idiographic approaches may identify women experiencing IPV for whom negative and positive emotion dysregulation drive alcohol use and alcohol use drives negative and positive emotion dysregulation.

Emotion regulation and substance use: A meta-analysis

There has been exponential growth in research on emotion regulation and substance use in the past decade. The current meta-analysis evaluated variability in the magnitude of the relation between aspects of emotion regulation and substance use. A search of PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and PILOTS in December 2020 resulted in 6642 initial studies, of which 95 met inclusion criteria (association between emotion regulation and substance use was reported, participants were > 18 years old, article was in English). A total of 445 effects were obtained (N = 156,025 participants; weighted M_age = 29.31; 59.5% female; 66.1% White; 76.6% non-clinical). Emotion regulation and substance use were significantly related (r = 0.19; p < 0.001; 95%CI [0.17, 0.20]). Emotion regulation abilities were generally more strongly related to substance use than emotion regulation strategies; this pattern was stronger for behavioral vs. cognitive abilities and extended to both negative and positive emotions. Relations were stronger for older and clinical samples; mixed effects were found for sex and no conclusive effects were found for race. Despite limitations of the existing literature (e.g., cross-sectional, self-reports), results indicated that the magnitude of the relation between emotion regulation and substance use varied considerably as a function of emotion regulation and substance use constructs and sample characteristics.

Advancing our understanding of the intersection between emotion regulation and alcohol and drug use problems: Dyadic analysis in couples with intimate partner violence and alcohol use disorder

BACKGROUND

An extensive body of literature has linked emotion regulation to alcohol and drug use problems, including among populations characterized by intimate partner violence (IPV). Advancing this research, the goal of the current study was to examine cognitive emotion regulation strategies and alcohol and drug use problems within a dyadic framework. Specifically, we examined actor and partner effects of maladaptive and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies on alcohol and drug use problems.

METHODS

Eighty-four romantic couples (N = 168 total participants) participating in a randomized controlled trial who reported physical IPV and an alcohol use disorder completed self-reported measures of cognitive emotion regulation as well as alcohol and drug use problems.

RESULTS

Regarding actor effects, men's greater use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies was positively related to their alcohol use problems (p < .001), whereas both women's (p = .02) and men's (p = .047) greater use of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies was negatively related to their own alcohol use problems. In terms of partner effects, men's greater use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (p = .001) and less use of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (p = .017) was related to their partners' greater drug use problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings replicate and extend existing work in this area, showing that men's and women's emotion regulation strategies are related to their own alcohol and drug use problems and that men's cognitive emotion regulation strategies are also related to their partners' drug use problems.

Time-varying associations of alcohol and cannabis use with intimate partner violence for black and white young women

BACKGROUND

Substance use is linked to increases in young women's risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Increased understanding of the magnitude of and changes in the associations between substance use and risk for IPV in the transition to emerging adulthood, and differences between Black and White women, could inform efforts to protect women from substance use-related harm.

METHODS

Young women (N = 1,852; 59% Black, 41% White) in the Pittsburgh Girls Study completed yearly assessments at ages 17-21 on frequency of alcohol and cannabis use, and experiences of IPV (minor physical assault). Time-varying effect models (TVEMs) were used to examine changes in the strength of the association between frequency of alcohol and cannabis use with IPV across ages 17-21, controlling for time-invariant covariates (socioeconomic status, conduct problems, and depression).

RESULTS

Across ages 17 to 21, White, relative to Black, women reported more frequent alcohol use and less frequent cannabis use, and lower rates of IPV. Alcohol use was not significantly associated with IPV at ages 17-21 among White women, but among Black women, alcohol use was associated with increased likelihood of IPV at ages 17-20. Cannabis use was associated with increased likelihood of IPV at ages 19-21 among Black women, and at ages 20-21 among White women.

CONCLUSIONS

Associations between IPV (specifically minor assault) in the context of a romantic relationship differed for alcohol and cannabis across ages 17-21, and by race, among White and Black women. Results highlight the importance of substance-specific prevention efforts that are timed and tailored to subgroups.

Interpersonal violence: Serious sequelae for heart disease in women

Experiencing various forms of violence in either childhood or adulthood has been associated with cardiovascular disease, both shortly after the event and during follow-up, particularly in women. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has heightened the risk of domestic violence with serious sequelae for mental and cardiovascular health in women, possibly due to several contributing factors, ranging from lockdown, stay at home regulations, job losses, anxiety, and stress. Accordingly, it remains paramount to enforce proactive preventive strategies, at both the family and individual level, maintain a high level of attention to recognize all forms of violence or abuse, and guarantee a multidisciplinary team approach for victims of interpersonal or domestic violence in order to address physical, sexual, and emotional domains and offer a personalized care.