An examination of affect prior to and following episodes of getting drunk in women with bulimia nervosa.
The current study examined the association between affect and self-reported alcohol intoxication in women with bulimia nervosa (BN; N=133). Participants completed a two-week ecological momentary assessment protocol. Momentary global positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), as well as the facets of NA (fear, guilt, hostility and sadness), were measured. Forty-five participants endorsed that they "got drunk" during the study period. Daily mean and variability of global PA and NA were compared between days with self-reported alcohol intoxication and days without self-reported alcohol intoxication. Trajectories of affect were modeled prior to and following episodes of self-reported alcohol intoxication. There were no differences in the mean or variability of PA or NA on days characterized by self-reported alcohol intoxication compared to days with no self-reported alcohol intoxication (ps>0.05). PA decreased significantly prior to self-reported alcohol intoxication and remained stable afterwards. There were no changes in global NA before or after self-reported alcohol intoxication, but an examination of the facets of NA showed that sadness increased following episodes of self-reported alcohol intoxication. These findings showed only partial support for a negative reinforcement model of alcohol use in women with BN.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, F282/2A West, 2450 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. Electronic address: episetsk@umn.edu.
Emily M
EM
Pisetsky
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, USA; Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, 120 8th Street S., Fargo, ND 58103, USA.
Ross D
RD
Crosby
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, USA.
Li
L
Cao
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Ellen E
EE
Fitzsimmons-Craft
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, USA; Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, 120 8th Street S., Fargo, ND 58103, USA.
James E
JE
Mitchell
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, USA; Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, 120 8th Street S., Fargo, ND 58103, USA.
Scott G
SG
Engel
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, USA; Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, 120 8th Street S., Fargo, ND 58103, USA.
Stephen A
SA
Wonderlich
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, F282/2A West, 2450 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA.
Carol B
CB
Peterson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
Alcohol use; Bulimia nervosa; Ecological momentary assessment