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. 2018 Jan 7:7:65-70.
doi: 10.1016/j.abrep.2018.01.001. eCollection 2018 Jun.

Emotion dysregulation and negative affect: Laboratory and EMA investigations in smokers

Jessica M MacIntyre  1 , Aimee C Ruscio  1 , Emily Brede  1 , Andrew J Waters  1
Affiliations

Emotion dysregulation and negative affect: Laboratory and EMA investigations in smokers

Jessica M MacIntyre et al. Addict Behav Rep. .

Abstract

Introduction: Difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with addictive behaviors, including smoking. Difficulties in emotion regulation may underlie large, rapid changes in negative affect that can increase likelihood of relapse. We investigated the association between emotion regulation ability and negative affect in smokers assessed both in the laboratory and in the field using Ecological Momentary Assessment.

Methods: Adult community smokers (N = 44) carried a personal digital assistant (PDA) for two weeks and were instructed to complete assessments of negative affect multiple times per day. Participants were instructed that they could smoke as much or as little as they liked. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were completed at three lab visits.

Results: Participants with higher average DERS scores reported greater negative affect at lab visits. When a participant reported a DERS score at a lab visit higher than their individual average, they also reported higher negative affect at that lab visit. Participants with higher baseline DERS scores reported more labile negative affect during EMA than those with lower baseline DERS scores, and they also reported a higher maximum level of negative affect during EMA.

Discussion and conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that changes in emotion regulation are associated with negative affect and that emotion regulation ability is related to both the intensity and lability of negative affect. A better understanding of momentary changes in emotion regulation and negative affect may lead to improved interventions for preventing substance use relapse.

Keywords: Ecological momentary assessment; Emotion regulation; Negative affect; Smoking.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scatterplot of the association between Deviation DERS and PANAS-NA (10–50 scale) across 108 lab visits. Positive Deviation DERS scores indicate higher scores than a participant's average. Negative Deviation DERS scores indicate lower scores than a participant's average.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean negative affect (5–25 scale) at pre-, max assessment, and post- time points (see text for details) for the high DERS group (n = 19) (unbroken line) and low DERS group (n = 18) (dotted line). Error bars are ±1SE.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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