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OBJECTIVE Affective and emotional dysregulation are consistently linked to greater alcohol use and related consequences, including risky sexual behavior. Moreover, these associations are even stronger among women with experiences of sexual assault. The current study tested affect, alexithymia, positive urgency, and negative urgency as predictors of alcohol use, alcohol-related consequences, and risky sexual behavior and the moderating impact of rape history on these associations among a sample of college women. METHOD Participants were 1,005 college women between the ages of 18 and 25. Approximately 20% of the sample (n = 204) reported a history of rape since age 14. RESULTS Positive and negative urgency statistically mediated the associations between negative affect and alexithymia and the alcohol and risky sex outcomes. Positive urgency was directly associated with alcohol use, while negative urgency was directly associated with alcohol-related consequences. Moreover, rape history moderated these associations, indicating that positive affect may be an important protective factor among women who have experienced rape. CONCLUSIONS The current study identified important unique risk and protective pathways that may increase or reduce women's risk for alcohol-related consequences and risky sexual behavior. Importantly, these pathways are comprised of constructs that are malleable and modifiable and can be targeted and changed through intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) provides a theoretical foundation associated with various approach and avoidance behaviors and individual personality differences. Sensitivity to reward and punishment, two neural systems within the RST have been significantly associated with bingeing and purging behaviors. However, inconsistent findings are observed and specific factors mediating these relationships are not well understood. Deficits in emotion regulation may account for these relationships, as both negative urgency and distress tolerance have been independently associated with bulimia behaviors. Thus, this is an area that requires further investigation. The current study utilized various self-report inventories, including the Eating Disorder Inventory-3rd Edition to measure bulimia symptoms, as well as measures of negative affect, sensitivity to reward and punishment, distress tolerance, and negative urgency. These measures were used to assess whether distress tolerance and negative urgency mediated associations between sensitivity to reward and punishment and bulimia symptoms in a community sample of 394 young adults ranging from the ages of 18 to 25. As expected, sensitivity to reward and punishment were significantly associated with decreased distress tolerance. Distress tolerance was also directly associated with greater negative urgency, which was significantly associated with increased bulimia symptoms. Consistent with hypotheses, indirect associations between sensitivity to reward and sensitivity to punishment to bulimia symptoms via distress tolerance and negative urgency were observed, controlling for gender and negative affect. Results contribute to understanding specific contributions of risk factors within the relationship of sensitivity to reward and punishment and bulimia symptoms, measured by the EDI-3. Novel to existing literature, results indicate that reinforcement sensitivity significantly contributes to emotion regulation deficits. Thus, these findings may have important implications for understanding the development and treatment of bulimia symptoms. Level V, based on descriptive, cross-sectional data.

Results of neuroimaging datasets aggregated from multiple sites may be biased by site-specific profiles in participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as MRI acquisition protocols and scanning platforms. We compared the impact of four different harmonization methods on results obtained from analyses of cortical thickness data: (1) linear mixed-effects model (LME) that models site-specific random intercepts (LME INT), (2) LME that models both site-specific random intercepts and age-related random slopes (LME INT+SLP), (3) ComBat, and (4) ComBat with a generalized additive model (ComBat-GAM). Our test case for comparing harmonization methods was cortical thickness data aggregated from 29 sites, which included 1,340 cases with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (6.2–81.8 years old) and 2,057 trauma-exposed controls without PTSD (6.3–85.2 years old). We found that, compared to the other data harmonization methods, data processed with ComBat-GAM was more sensitive to the detection of significant case-control differences (Χ 2(3) = 63.704, p < 0.001) as well as case-control differences in age-related cortical thinning (Χ 2(3) = 12.082, p = 0.007). Both ComBat and ComBat-GAM outperformed LME methods in detecting sex differences (Χ 2(3) = 9.114, p = 0.028) in regional cortical thickness. ComBat-GAM also led to stronger estimates of age-related declines in cortical thickness (corrected p-values < 0.001), stronger estimates of case-related cortical thickness reduction (corrected p-values < 0.001), weaker estimates of age-related declines in cortical thickness in cases than controls (corrected p-values < 0.001), stronger estimates of cortical thickness reduction in females than males (corrected p-values < 0.001), and stronger estimates of cortical thickness reduction in females relative to males in cases than controls (corrected p-values < 0.001). Our results support the use of ComBat-GAM to minimize confounds and increase statistical power when harmonizing data with non-linear effects, and the use of either ComBat or ComBat-GAM for harmonizing data with linear effects.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is accompanied by disrupted cortical neuroanatomy. We investigated alteration in covariance of structural networks associated with PTSD in regions that demonstrate the case-control differences in cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA). Methods: Neuroimaging and clinical data were aggregated from 29 research sites in >1300 PTSD cases and >2000 trauma-exposed control subjects (ages 6.2–85.2 years) by the ENIGMA-PGC (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis–Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) PTSD working group. Cortical regions in the network were rank ordered by the effect size of PTSD-related cortical differences in CT and SA. The top-n (n = 2–148) regions with the largest effect size for PTSD > non-PTSD formed hypertrophic networks, the largest effect size for PTSD < non-PTSD formed atrophic networks, and the smallest effect size of between-group differences formed stable networks. The mean structural covariance (SC) of a given n-region network was the average of all positive pairwise correlations and was compared with the mean SC of 5000 randomly generated n-region networks. Results: Patients with PTSD, relative to non-PTSD control subjects, exhibited lower mean SC in CT-based and SA-based atrophic networks. Comorbid depression, sex, and age modulated covariance differences of PTSD-related structural networks. Conclusions: Covariance of structural networks based on CT and cortical SA are affected by PTSD and further modulated by comorbid depression, sex, and age. The SC networks that are perturbed in PTSD comport with converging evidence from resting-state functional connectivity networks and networks affected by inflammatory processes and stress hormones in PTSD.

This study tested a multiple group path model in a sample of young adults (n = 402; 233 university participant pool/169 Amazon MTurk) linking positive and negative affect to alcohol consumption and problems via enhancement and coping motives, respectively. Motivational models of alcohol use suggest that individuals drink in order to alleviate negative affective states or to enhance positive moods or feelings. Deficits in modulating attention toward emotional experience (i.e., involuntary attention to emotion [IAE]); and poor distress tolerance may contribute to maladaptive patterns of substance use (i.e., negative reinforcement). As negative affect increases, those with deficits in the ability to efficiently attend to emotions as well as the inability to withstand distress may seek more external means of regulating unwanted or intrusive emotional experiences via alcohol. It was hypothesized that involuntarily attending to one's emotions would contribute to negative reinforcement drinking and problems. Coping motives were directly associated with alcohol-related problems, while enhancement motives were directly associated with problems both directly and indirectly via alcohol consumption. The hypothesized interaction between negative affect and IAE to coping motives was conditional upon levels of distress tolerance, with the moderating effect of involuntary attention being significant at high but not low levels of distress tolerance. Distress tolerance exhibited direct, inverse associations with alcohol-related problems. This pathway was significant over and above the direct effects of both coping motives and alcohol consumption. This suggests that while tolerance for emotional distress may reduce negative reinforcement drinking, it also fosters adaptive regulation when intoxicated. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

In the acquired preparedness model of risk, alcohol expectancies mediate the association between personality and alcohol problems. In the current study, we tested the associations between temperament (i.e., effortful control and reactivity) and temperament-congruent expectancies of distal and proximal effects. It was hypothesized that effortful control would be inversely associated with drinking and problems and that these effects would be mediated through consequence expectancies. Alternatively, it was hypothesized that reactivity would be positively associated with drinking and problems and that these effects would be mediated by expectancies of immediate stimulation and attenuated sedation. This article presents data from a multiple group analyses with 483 young adults (76% female) from a university in the Midwest (n = 209) and Amazon's Mechanical Turk (n = 274). The hypotheses were partially supported. Reactivity was associated with expectancies of stimulation, which were associated with increased weekly drinking and problems. Reactivity was associated with increased weekly drinking and problems and this association was partially indirect through stimulating expectancies. Reactivity did not significantly predict sedating expectancies. The indirect effects from effortful control through consequence expectancies were not significant. There were curvilinear effects from consequence expectancies to drinking and problems. Specifically, the effect from consequence expectancies to drinking and problems was positive at low levels of expectancies, but became negative and significant at mean levels and above. Results of the invariance testing indicated that the model manifested similarly across university and MTurk respondents. These implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with markers of accelerated aging. Estimates of brain age, compared to chronological age, may clarify the effects of PTSD on the brain and may inform treatment approaches targeting the neurobiology of aging in the context of PTSD. Method Adult subjects (N = 2229; 56.2% male) aged 18–69 years (mean = 35.6, SD = 11.0) from 21 ENIGMA‐PGC PTSD sites underwent T1‐weighted brain structural magnetic resonance imaging, and PTSD assessment (PTSD+, n = 884). Previously trained voxel‐wise (brainageR) and region‐of‐interest (BARACUS and PHOTON) machine learning pipelines were compared in a subset of control subjects (n = 386). Linear mixed effects models were conducted in the full sample (those with and without PTSD) to examine the effect of PTSD on brain predicted age difference (brain PAD; brain age − chronological age) controlling for chronological age, sex, and scan site. Results BrainageR most accurately predicted brain age in a subset (n = 386) of controls (brainageR: ICC = 0.71, R = 0.72, MAE = 5.68; PHOTON: ICC = 0.61, R = 0.62, MAE = 6.37; BARACUS: ICC = 0.47, R = 0.64, MAE = 8.80). Using brainageR, a three‐way interaction revealed that young males with PTSD exhibited higher brain PAD relative to male controls in young and old age groups; old males with PTSD exhibited lower brain PAD compared to male controls of all ages. Discussion Differential impact of PTSD on brain PAD in younger versus older males may indicate a critical window when PTSD impacts brain aging, followed by age‐related brain changes that are consonant with individuals without PTSD. Future longitudinal research is warranted to understand how PTSD impacts brain aging across the lifespan., Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with markers of accelerated aging. We explored estimates of brain age, as compared to chronological age, as a possible marker of accelerated aging in PTSD populations leveraging a large multi‐site sample. We identified an interaction of PTSD, age, and sex which showed young males with PTSD had a greater brain predicted age difference [PAD] than young male controls, young females with PTSD, and young females without PTSD. A similar pattern was present in middle‐aged males, but the effect of PTSD was weaker than in young adults. Male controls in the old subgroup exhibited higher brain‐PAD than old males with PTSD, old females with PTSD, and old females without PTSD.

A growing number of studies have examined alterations in white matter organization in people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using diffusion MRI (dMRI), but the results have been mixed, which may be partially due to relatively small sample sizes among studies. Altered structural connectivity may be both a neurobiological vulnerability for, and a result of, PTSD. In an effort to find reliable effects, we present a multi-cohort analysis of dMRI metrics across 3,047 individuals from 28 cohorts currently participating in the PGC-ENIGMA PTSD working group (a joint partnership between the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis consortium). Comparing regional white matter metrics across the full brain in 1,426 individuals with PTSD and 1,621 controls (2174 males/873 females) between ages 18–83, 92% of whom were trauma-exposed, we report associations between PTSD and disrupted white matter organization measured by lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the tapetum region of the corpus callosum (Cohen’s d=−0.11, p=0.0055). The tapetum connects the left and right hippocampus, structures for which structure and function have been consistently implicated in PTSD. Results remained significant/similar after accounting for the effects of multiple potentially confounding variables: childhood trauma exposure, comorbid depression, history of traumatic brain injury, current alcohol abuse or dependence, and current use of psychotropic medications. Our results show that PTSD may be associated with alterations in the broader hippocampal network.

Purpose Risk factors of negative affect, body dissatisfaction, distress tolerance, and negative urgency are independently associated with bulimia symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, relationships of these risk factors within comorbid presentations are not fully understood. The current study examined specific roles of these risk factors within this relationship. Methods An at-risk community sample of young adults (N = 429) completed an online survey of negative affect, body dissatisfaction, distress tolerance, negative urgency, bulimia symptoms, and NSSI. Results A hypothesized path model was a good fit to the data. Results indicated direct paths from body dissatisfaction, negative urgency, and distress tolerance to bulimia symptoms. Negative urgency, distress tolerance, and bulimia symptoms were directly associated with NSSI. Consistent with hypotheses, distress tolerance and negative urgency acted as vulnerability factors, increasing the strength of associations between bulimia symptoms and NSSI. Distress tolerance also strengthened associations between negative urgency and NSSI. In addition to the direct effect, negative urgency was indirectly associated with NSSI via body dissatisfaction bulimia. Hypothesized indirect effects through distress tolerance were not supported. Conclusions Results support etiological models of bulimia and NSSI, and suggest deficits in emotion regulation strengthen risk of comorbid presentations. Furthermore, individuals with greater impulsivity and difficulty tolerating distress are at increased risk of engaging in both bulimia behaviors and NSSI, providing targets for clinical intervention. Level of evidence Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate a network model of risk and resilience factors of suicidal ideation among veterans. METHODS: Two network models of suicidal ideation among OIF/OEF/OND veterans (N = 276) incorporated key disorders, traumatic stress, and resilience constructs to contextualize suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Childhood trauma was positively connected with suicidal ideation and harassment and inversely connected with social support and distress tolerance. This exemplifies long-lasting associations between childhood trauma and re-victimization, emotion regulation, and ability to form supportive social relationships. A subsequent model including lower-order facets indicated that combat trauma was predominantly associated with PTSD-intrusion symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of addressing both risk and resilience to reduce suicide risk among veterans and increases understanding of factors that contribute to suicidal ideation.

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) provides a theoretical foundation associated with various approach and avoidance behaviors and individual personality differences. Sensitivity to reward and punishment, two neural systems within the RST have been significantly associated with bingeing and purging behaviors. However, inconsistent findings are observed and specific factors mediating these relationships are not well understood. Deficits in emotion regulation may account for these relationships, as both negative urgency and distress tolerance have been independently associated with bulimia behaviors. Thus, this is an area that requires further investigation.The current study utilized various self-report inventories, including the Eating Disorder Inventory-3rd Edition to measure bulimia symptoms, as well as measures of negative affect, sensitivity to reward and punishment, distress tolerance, and negative urgency. These measures were used to assess whether distress tolerance and negative urgency mediated associations between sensitivity to reward and punishment and bulimia symptoms in a community sample of 394 young adults ranging from the ages of 18 to 25.As expected, sensitivity to reward and punishment were significantly associated with decreased distress tolerance. Distress tolerance was also directly associated with greater negative urgency, which was significantly associated with increased bulimia symptoms. Consistent with hypotheses, indirect associations between sensitivity to reward and sensitivity to punishment to bulimia symptoms via distress tolerance and negative urgency were observed, controlling for gender and negative affect.Results contribute to understanding specific contributions of risk factors within the relationship of sensitivity to reward and punishment and bulimia symptoms, measured by the EDI-3. Novel to existing literature, results indicate that reinforcement sensitivity significantly contributes to emotion regulation deficits. Thus, these findings may have important implications for understanding the development and treatment of bulimia symptoms.Level V, based on descriptive, cross-sectional data.

Emotion regulation strategies may help explain the risk of experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among adults with a history of child maltreatment. However, no study to date has examined the roles of both thought suppression and cognitive reappraisal in the association between childhood maltreatment and PTSD symptoms.The current study sought to understand the associations between childhood maltreatment, thought suppression, cognitive reappraisal, and PTSD symptoms while controlling for negative affect and gender.Data were collected on 660 university students (71 % female) ages 18-25 between 2013 and 2014. Participants completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, PTSD symptoms, and emotion regulation strategies.A structural equation model was tested to examine the direct and indirect effects from childhood maltreatment to PTSD symptoms via thought suppression and cognitive reappraisal, over and above gender and negative affect.Childhood maltreatment was directly associated with PTSD symptoms (β = 0.28, SE = 0.04, p.001). Childhood maltreatment also had a significant indirect effect on PTSD via cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.01, CI 95 % [0.00, 0.03]), but not through thought suppression, although (β = 0.01, CI 95 % [-0.00, 0.04]) thought suppression was significantly positively associated with PTSD symptoms (β = 0.21, SE = 0.04, p.001).The present study sheds light on the effect of childhood maltreatment and two commonly used emotion regulation strategies on PTSD symptoms.

We tested a dynamic structural equation model (DSEM; Asparouhov, Hamaker, & Muthen, 2018) of positive and negative affect in 254 veterans with approximately 1.5 years of experience sampling data. The analysis provided estimates of several aspects of veteran's emotional experience including "trait" positive and negative affect (i.e., mean levels), inertia (i.e., tendency for emotions to self-perpetuate), innovation variance (conceptualized as lability, reactivity, or exposure to stressors), and cross-lagged associations between positive and negative affect. Veterans with higher trait negative affect had more negative affect inertia and innovation variance. This suggests a pattern whereby the veteran has more negative reactions, and negative emotions, in turn, tend to maintain themselves, contributing to higher trait negative affect. In contrast, veterans with higher trait positive affect exhibited more positive affect innovation variance (e.g., positive reactivity). Although veterans showed some consistency in dynamics across emotions (e.g., positive and negative reactivity were positively correlated), trait positive and negative affect were not significantly associated. Veterans with higher posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) at baseline exhibited higher reactivity to negative events, less positive affect, and more negative affect during the follow-up. Veterans with higher distress tolerance reported not only lower PTSS but also a more adaptive pattern of affective experience characterized by lower inertia and reactivity in negative affect and more positive lagged associations between negative affect and subsequent positive affect. The results demonstrated that distress tolerance and PTSS in veterans were associated with dynamics of positive and negative emotion over time, suggesting specific differences in affect regulation processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with elevated risk of both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and related conduct problems, which are associated with behavioral and emotional dysregulation. We conducted an intensive longitudinal burst design study with 10 weeks of experience sampling over the course of 1.5 years with 250 veterans of recent conflicts. We tested time-series models of daily associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), alcohol dependence syndrome, and conduct problems. Exacerbations of PTSS predicted higher dependence syndrome and conduct problems the next day. This effect was significant after controlling for both concurrent (i.e., same-day) associations between drinking and the outcomes as well as the strength of associations between the outcomes from one day to the next (i.e., autoregression). Affect lability and disinhibition were hypothesized vulnerability factors increasing the strength of within-person predictors of dependence syndrome and conduct problems. Lability and disinhibition were associated with greater dependence syndrome symptoms and conduct problems over the follow-up period. Consistent with expectation, lability rather than disinhibition increased the association between drinking and dependence syndrome as well as the strength of association between dependence syndrome symptoms from one day to the next. Moderating effects of disinhibition in the conduct problems model were not significant. Importantly, results indicated reciprocal associations over time. Lability potentiated the association between dependence syndrome symptoms and next day PTSS, whereas disinhibition potentiated the association between conduct problems and next day PTSS. Results demonstrate complex dynamic associations between PTSS, AUD symptoms, and conduct problems over time indicative of broad regulatory impairments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

OBJECTIVES: This study fills a gap in the literature by examining the relationship between two types of narcissism, vulnerable and grandiose, and five alcohol-related outcomes (i.e., alcohol use, alcohol problems, evaluation and expectancies of problems, and readiness to change). PARTICIPANTS: 345 college students (28% male, 72% female) from a Midwestern university were recruited from undergraduate psychology courses from April 2015 to October 2016. METHODS: Participants completed an online survey with questionnaires measuring the variables of interest. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: Grandiose narcissism was a positive predictor of alcohol consumption and a positive (i.e., good) evaluation of alcohol-related problems. Vulnerable narcissism was a positive predictor of alcohol-related problems, problem recognition (i.e., readiness to change), and problem expectancies. CONCLUSIONS: The results speak to the effects that different types of narcissism have on alcohol use, alcohol problems and attitudes towards alcohol problems among young adults.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to examine associations between inhibitory (sensitivity to punishment [SP], adaptive metacognition) and facilitatory (sensitivity to reward [SR], maladaptive metacognition) factors of alcohol consumption and problems among young adults. Methods Three hundred fifty-five young adults (ages 18–25, 61% female) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and a large public midwestern university in the United States self-administered a Web survey. Two multiple regression models were tested. Results SR significantly moderated the effects of SP and the maladaptive metacognition (MC) subscale Uncontrollability/Danger on alcohol consumption. Alcohol problems were also significantly predicted by SR and Uncontrollability/Danger. The interaction between SR and SP on alcohol problems was conditional upon levels of the maladaptive MC subscale Lack of Cognitive Confidence, with a significant moderating effect only at high levels of Lack of Cognitive Confidence. Conclusions Consistent with the literature, individuals with high levels of SR coupled with low SP are at risk for increased alcohol consumption. This effect on drinking behaviors is further influenced by maladaptive MC, such that individuals characterized by high SR and low SP are significantly more likely to report more alcohol-related problems if they believe that worrying is dangerous and uncontrollable or lack cognitive confidence; however as SP increases, this effect significantly diminishes., Highlights • The association between SP and alcohol consumption is moderated by SR. • Beliefs of uncontrollability and SR increase alcohol consumption and problems. • The interaction of SR, SP, and alcohol problems is moderated by cognitive confidence.

Introduction The current study tested the role of distress tolerance in the relationship between three early maladaptive cognitive schemas (Abandonment, Defectiveness/Shame, and Insufficient Self-Control) and alcohol problems among college students (N = 364). Previous research suggests that maladaptive cognitive schemas may be a risk factor for alcohol-related problems. However, the mechanism underlying this association is unclear. One's tolerance for emotional distress may play an important role in understanding the nature of this association. Methods We tested a structural equation model where distress tolerance was expected to explain or moderate associations between early maladaptive schemas and alcohol outcomes. Results Results indicated distress tolerance partially mediated the relationships between schemas of Abandonment and Insufficient Self-Control and alcohol problems. Distress tolerance also significantly moderated the relationship between the Defectiveness/Shame schema and alcohol-related problems, reducing the strength of the association. Conclusions Distress tolerance is a modifiable risk factor and the results of this study support the inclusion of emotional regulation strategies in the prevention and treatment of alcohol problems among young adults.

This study tested a structural equation model linking reinforcement sensitivity to subsequent emotion-based impulsivity (i.e., positive and negative urgency), alcohol use, and risky sexual behavior among a sample of 753 undergraduate drinkers. A hypothesized Sensitivity to Punishment (SP) × Sensitivity to Reward (SR) interaction significantly predicted both positive and negative urgency. At low levels of SR, SP had a significant negative effect on positive urgency and a significant positive effect on negative urgency. However, at high levels of SR, SP had significant positive effects on both types of urgency. Results indicated that positive and negative urgency mediate the associations between reinforcement sensitivity and both alcohol use and risky sexual behavior. Moreover, results demonstrated that at low levels of SR, SP is indirectly associated with decreased alcohol use. However, as SR increases, SP is indirectly associated with increased alcohol use and risky sexual behavior, due to the joint effect of high SP and SR on emotion-based impulsivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

This study modelled associations between gender, ruminative cognitive style, alcohol use, and the time course of negative affect over the course of 43,111 random assessments in the natural environment. Participants (N = 263) completed 49 days of experience sampling over 1.3 years. The data indicated that rumination at baseline was positively associated with alcohol dependence symptoms at baseline as well as higher negative affect over the course of the study. Consistent with negative reinforcement models, drinking served to decrease the persistence of negative affect from moment to moment. However, this ameliorative effect of drinking was evident only among women, suggesting an increased risk for negative reinforcement driven drinking behaviour. In addition, rumination appeared to counteract the desired effects of alcohol on mood among women. This suggests that women who ruminate more may be motivated to consume larger amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired effects. Overall, the results indicate that ruminative cognitive style and the persistence of negative affect from moment to moment may reflect an individual vulnerability for the development of alcohol use disorder especially among women.

Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions. Previous research has identified a positive association between alexithymia and aggression, and impulsivity may account for some of that association. This study tested a path model of associations between alexithymia, five facets of impulsivity (negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking), and verbal and physical aggression in a sample of 503 undergraduate students. Alexithymia had significant positive associations with all facets of impulsivity except for sensation seeking. Negative urgency and (lack of) premeditation mediated the relationship between alexithymia and verbal aggression. Positive urgency, negative urgency, and (lack of) premeditation mediated the relationship between alexithymia and physical aggression. Positive urgency also moderated the relationship between alexithymia and both forms of aggression, increasing the strength of those associations. These results highlight the role of emotion dysregulation in the context of aggression and support the use emotion regulation skills training in anger and aggression management programs.

This study tested a multilevel structural model of associations between two aspects of self-control (effortful control and reactivity), self-control demands, alcohol consumption, and alcohol problems and related risk behaviors using daily diary data from 196 young adults (4,177 person-days). Self-control demands were hypothesized to be positively associated with alcohol consumption and alcohol problems and related risk behaviors both within- and between-persons. At the between-person level, self-control demands were hypothesized to mediate the association between trait self-control and alcohol problems and related risk behaviors. At the within-person level, self-control demands had a direct positive effect on alcohol problems and related risk behaviors, over and above alcohol consumption. However, contrary to expectation, self-control demands were inversely associated with alcohol consumption. In contrast, self-control demands were positively associated with alcohol consumption at the between-person level and partially mediated the positive effects of reactivity on consumption and alcohol problems and related risk behaviors. That is, reactivity was associated with higher perceived self-control demands, which in turn predicted higher rates of consumption and alcohol problems and related risk behaviors. Effortful control was not significantly associated with alcohol consumption or self-control demands. The pattern of self-control demand effects at the within-person level suggest that young adults are less likely to drink when struggling to manage their day-to-day behavior, yet if they do drink they are more susceptible to negative consequences. Trait effects suggest that individual differences in self-control may be associated with alcohol use patterns in part attributable to development of, and response to, structured daily routines. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study tested a path model of relationships between military sexual trauma (MST), combat exposure, negative urgency, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol use and related problems. The sample consisted of 86 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans who reported drinking at least one alcoholic beverage per week. PTSD mediated the relationships between MST and alcohol-related problems, negative urgency and alcohol-related problems, and combat exposure and alcohol-related problems. In addition, negative urgency had a direct effect on alcohol problems. These results indicate that MST, combat exposure, and negative urgency independently predict PTSD symptoms and PTSD symptoms mediate their relationship with alcohol-related problems. Findings support previous literature on the effect of combat exposure and negative urgency on PTSD and subsequent alcohol-related problems. The current study also contributes to the limited research regarding the relationship between MST, PSTD, and alcohol use and related problems. Clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotional dysregulation and posttraumatic stress symptomology may subsequently improve alcohol-related outcomes.

This study examined negative control (ie, perceived lack of control over life outcomes) and need for control as predictors of alcohol-problem recognition, evaluations (good/bad), and expectancies (likely/unlikely) among college students. The study also explored the interaction between the need for control and alcohol consumption in alcohol-related outcomes.Participants were a convenience sample of 500 college students from a rural Midwest university. Data were collected during the 2009-2010 academic year.Participants completed a survey assessing control and alcohol-problem recognition, evaluations, and expectancies.Negative control demonstrated a significant positive association with alcohol-problem recognition, evaluations, and expectancies after controlling for gender and alcohol consumption. Need for control did not have a main effect. However, the interaction was significant in that the association between need for control and negative evaluation of alcohol problems was strongest among participants with the highest levels of alcohol consumption.These results demonstrate that individuals' differences in sense of control are associated with alcohol-problem recognition, evaluations, and expectancies in young adults.

Evidence suggests that for young adults, intimate partners influence each other's drinking patterns. Therefore, exploration of variables related to intimate partner relationships (such as attachment style) could broaden the current understanding of risk factors for alcohol problems in this demographic.The current study examined the role of drinking context in the relationships among insecure attachment, alcohol problems, and relationship satisfaction. A path model was hypothesized where the relationship between insecure attachment and alcohol problems would be explained via two distinct drinking contexts (i.e., drinking with one's partner and drinking away from one's partner). It was also hypothesized that the relationship between insecure attachment and relationship satisfaction would be explained via these same two drinking contexts.Participants were 194 undergraduate students ages 18-25 who reported being in a monogamous intimate partner relationship for at least 90 days and had also consumed alcohol in the past 90 days. The sample was comprised of 76% women and 24% men.The hypothesized direct relationship from anxious attachment to alcohol problems was significant; there were also significant direct paths from both anxious and avoidant attachment to relationship satisfaction. The hypotheses regarding indirect relationships were not supported.The results of this study contribute to the existing literature, in that they suggest that drinking in the context of an intimate relationship may not directly affect relationship satisfaction in this population. However, relationship functioning still appears to be an important variable to consider in the prevention and treatment of alcohol-related problems affecting college students.

Distress tolerance is defined as the individualrsquo;s capacity to experience and withstand negative psychological states. The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the Spanish version of the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and to test its relationship with psychopathological symptoms and personality.A sample of 650 participants completed the DTS, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revisedndash;Abbreviated) (EPQR-A), and the Symptom Assessment-45 Questionnaire (SA-45).The DTS showed good internal consistency (Cronbachrsquo;s alpha) and adequate temporal stability (7-month test-retest). Results of a confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized 4-factor structure (tolerance, appraisal, absorption, and regulation) that load onto a higher-order general factor. A structural equation model (SEM) was tested to provide evidence of construct validity. Neuroticism was inversely associated with distress tolerance, and distress tolerance partially mediated the effects of neuroticism on current symptoms. Results indicated that the Spanish DTS mediated associations between personality traits and current psychiatric symptoms.Results support the use of this version as a useful tool for assessing distress tolerance in clinical and research settings in Spanish-speaking countries. In addition, we found that distress tolerance may form a link between neuroticism and psychopathology.

This fMRI study tested a model of combat trauma, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), alcohol use, and behavioral and neural responses to emotional cues in 100 OIF/OEF/OND veterans. Multilevel structural equation models were tested for left and right dorsal ACC (dACC), rostral ACC (rACC), and amygdala blood-oxygen- level dependent responses during the emotional counting Stroop test and masked faces task. In the Stroop task, combat exposure moderated the effect of combat stimuli resulting in hyperactivation in the rACC and dACC. Activation in the left amygdala also increased in response to combat stimuli, but effects did not vary as a function of combat severity. In the masked faces task, activation patterns did not vary as a function of stimulus. However, at the between-person level, amygdala activation during the masked faces task was inversely associated with PTSS. In respect to behavioral outcomes, higher PTSS were associated with a stronger Stroop effect, suggesting greater interference associated with combat words. Results are consistent with the premise that combat trauma results in hyperactivation in the ACC in response to combat stimuli, and, via its effect on PTSS, is associated with deficits in cognitive performance in the presence of combat stimuli. Across tasks, predeployment drinking was inversely associated with activation in the dACC but not the rACC or amygdala. Drinking may be a buffering factor, or negatively reinforcing in part because of its effects on normalizing brain response following trauma exposure. Alternatively, drinking may undermine adaptive functioning of the dACC when responding to traumatic stress cues. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study tested the role of affect lability and disinhibition in mediating associations between PTSD symptoms and two forms of alcohol-related problems, dependence syndrome symptoms (e.g., impaired control over consumption) and conduct problems (e.g., assault, risk behaviors). Genotype at the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) was hypothesized to moderate associations between traumatic stress and PTSD symptoms. In addition, the study tested whether childhood traumatic stress moderated associations between combat trauma and PTSD symptoms. Participants were 270 OIF/OEF/OND veterans. The hypothesized model was largely supported. Participants with the low expression alleles of 5-HTTLPR (S or LG) exhibited stronger associations between childhood (but not combat) traumatic stress and PTSD symptoms. Affect lability mediated the associations between PTSD symptoms and alcohol dependence symptoms. Behavioral disinhibition mediated associations between PTSD symptoms and conduct related problems. Conditional indirect effects indicated stronger associations between childhood traumatic stress and lability, behavioral disinhibition, alcohol consumption, AUD symptoms, and associated conduct problems via PTSD symptoms among those with the low expression 5-HTTLPR alleles. However, interactions between combat trauma and either childhood trauma or genotype were not significant. The results support the hypothesis that affect lability and behavioral disinhibition are potential intermediate traits with distinct associations with AUD and associated externalizing problems.

Previous research has demonstrated a positive association between child maltreatment and adult interpersonal trauma (Arata, 2000; Crawford & Wright, 2007). From a betrayal trauma theory perspective, evidence suggests that the experience of trauma high in betrayal (e.g., child maltreatment by parents or guardians) increases ones risk of betrayal trauma as an adult (Gobin & Freyd, 2009). However, the mechanisms explaining these associations are not well understood; attachment theory could provide further insight. Child maltreatment is associated with insecure attachment (Baer & Martinez, 2006; Muller et al., 2000). Insecure attachment is also associated with deficits in interpersonal functioning and risk for intimate partner violence, suggesting insecure attachment may mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and the experience of betrayal trauma as an adult. The current study tested this hypothesis in a sample of 601 college students. Participants completed online questionnaires including the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS), the Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised (ECR-R) and the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey (BBTS). Results indicated that child maltreatment is associated with adult betrayal trauma and anxious attachment partially mediates this relationship.

This study tested a model of marijuana use, problems, and motivation and barriers to change among a sample of 422 undergraduate students ages 18 – 25 (M = 19.68, SD = 1.60) who used marijuana at least once in the past 6 months. We tested a structural equation model (SEM) with use motives (i.e., coping, enhancement, and expansion), perceived use utility, and gender as exogenous variables predicting marijuana use behavior (i.e., use and problems), motivation to change (i.e., problem recognition and perceived costs and benefits of change), and the ultimate outcome, taking steps to reduce marijuana use. Controlling for level of use and problems, expansion motives had a direct effect on increased perceived costs of change and enhancement motives had direct inverse effects on problem recognition and perceived benefits of change. However, the total effect of expansion motives on taking steps was not significant. The perceived role of marijuana in achieving personal strivings (i.e., use utility) was inversely associated with problem recognition, perceived benefits of change, and taking steps toward change. In contrast, coping motives, despite being associated with greater perceived costs of change, were positively associated with taking steps. Problem recognition was positively associated with both increased perceived costs and benefits of reducing marijuana use, reflecting individuals’ ambivalence about change. As expected, perceived benefits and costs of reducing use were positively and negatively associated with taking steps toward changing marijuana use, respectively. The results identify individual difference factors that contribute to motivation for change and are consistent with motivational models of change readiness. These results highlight the extent to which integration of marijuana use with personal goal achievement may interfere with taking steps to change use patterns despite associated negative consequences.