title: Abstract and concrete repetitive thinking modes in alcohol-dependence.
abstract: Emotional and interpersonal deficits play a crucial role in alcohol-related disorders as they predict alcohol consumption and relapse. Recent models of emotion regulation in psychopathology postulate that these deficits are centrally related to increased abstract/analytic repetitive thinking, combined with reduced concrete/experiential repetitive thinking. As this assumption has not been tested in addictions, this study aimed at investigating repetitive thinking modes in a large sample of alcohol-dependent individuals. One hundred recently detoxified alcohol-dependent individuals (29 females; mean age = 49.51-years-old) recruited during the 3rd week of their treatment in a detoxification center were compared to 100 healthy controls (29 females; mean age = 48.51-years-old) recruited in the experimenters' social network, matched at the group level for age, gender, and educational level. All participants completed the Mini Cambridge Exeter Repetitive Thought Scale measuring abstract/analytic and concrete/experiential repetitive thinking modes as well as complementary psychopathological measures (Beck Depression Inventory and State/Trait Anxiety Inventory). Alcohol-dependent individuals have similar levels of concrete repetitive thinking as controls but report significantly higher levels of abstract repetitive thinking (p < 0.001; d = 1.28). This effect remains significant after controlling for depression and anxiety. Relative to healthy controls, alcohol-dependent patients report more frequent use of abstract/analytic repetitive thinking, with preserved concrete/experiential thinking. Despite the cross-sectional nature of the study, the frequent use of abstract repetitive thinking thus appears to constitute a main feature of alcohol-dependence.
authors.affiliation: a University Lille , UMR 9193-SCALab-Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives , Lille , France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grynberg
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology , Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium.|c Saint-Luc Academic Hospital , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Timary
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology , Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Philippot
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology , Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Hondt
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology , Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium.
authors.forename: Yasmine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Briane
authors.affiliation: d University Lille , EA 4072-PSITEC-Psychologie: Interactions Temps Émotions Cognition , Lille , France.
authors.forename: Faustine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Devynck
authors.affiliation: d University Lille , EA 4072-PSITEC-Psychologie: Interactions Temps Émotions Cognition , Lille , France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Douilliez
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology , Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium.
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Billieux
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology , Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium.|e Department of Psychology , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts , USA.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heeren
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology , Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve , Belgium.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maurage
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013850:Thinking / Q000187:drug effects
keywords: Alcohol-dependence; abstract thinking mode; cognitive bias; concrete thinking mode; repetitive thinking