title: A prospective investigation of emotion dysregulation as a moderator of the relation between posttraumatic stress symptoms and substance use severity.
abstract: Despite strong evidence for an association between the experience of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and substance use, little is known about the particular individuals most at-risk for problematic substance use in response to PTS symptoms. Consequently, the goal of this study was to conduct a prospective investigation of the moderating role of emotion dysregulation (assessed through self-report and behavioral measures) in the relation between PTS symptoms and substance use 8-months later within a sample of 106 young adult women. No main effect of PTS symptoms on substance use was found. Instead, PTS symptoms were only associated with later substance use in the context of heightened emotion dysregulation. Results provide support for emotion dysregulation as a key factor that may increase risk for substance use among women experiencing PTS symptoms and highlight a target for future interventions aimed at reducing risk for the development of maladaptive behaviors stemming from PTS symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA. Electronic address: mtull@umc.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tull
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bardeen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DiLillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Terri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Messman-Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Kim L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Gratz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotion regulation; Longitudinal; Moderation; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Self-medication; Trauma