title: A preliminary experimental examination of the effect of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity on risky behaviors among women with sexual assault-related posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with a wide range of risky behaviors (e.g., substance use and risky sexual behaviors); however, few studies have examined mechanisms that may underlie risky behaviors in this population. The present study utilized a prospective experimental design to examine the effects of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity on risky behaviors across time. Thirty women with sexual assault-related PTSD were randomly assigned to receive emotion modulation (EM), impulsivity reduction (IR), or healthy living (HL; comparison condition) skills trainings. Participants completed measures of emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and risky behaviors pre-manipulation and 1-month post-manipulation. Participants in the EM and IR conditions reported a significant reduction in risky behaviors from pre- to post-manipulation relative to the HL condition. Changes in emotion dysregulation from pre- to post-manipulation fully accounted for reductions in risky behaviors over time. Results provide preliminary experimental support for the role of emotion dysregulation in risky behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA nhweiss7@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nicole H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tull
authors.affiliation: University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Kim L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Gratz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: emotion dysregulation; impulsivity; posttraumatic stress disorder; risky behaviors; sexual assault