Impulsive behaviors as an emotion regulation strategy: Examining associations between PTSD, emotion dysregulation, and impulsive behaviors among substance dependent inpatients

Feb 28, 2012Journal of anxiety disorders

Impulsive actions used to manage emotions linked to PTSD and emotion problems in people with substance dependence

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Abstract

In a sample of 206 substance use disorder patients, those with PTSD reported significantly more impulsive behaviors than those without PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to a variety of impulsive behaviors, including risky and antisocial actions.
Substance use disorder patients with PTSD exhibit a greater frequency of impulsive behaviors compared to those without PTSD.
Emotion dysregulation may explain the link between PTSD and impulsive behaviors.
Findings suggest that addressing emotion dysregulation could be beneficial in reducing impulsive behaviors in this population.

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Recent investigations have demonstrated that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with a range of impulsive behaviors (e.g., risky sexual behavior and antisocial behavior). The purpose of the present study was to extend extant research by exploring whether emotion dysregulation explains the association between PTSD and impulsive behaviors. Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 206 substance use disorder (SUD) patients in residential substance abuse treatment. Results demonstrated an association between PTSD and impulsive behaviors, with SUD patients with PTSD reporting significantly more impulsive behaviors than SUD patients without PTSD (in general and when controlling for relevant covariates). Further, emotion dysregulation was found to fully mediate the relationship between PTSD and impulsive behaviors. Results highlight the relevance of emotion dysregulation to impulsive behaviors and suggest that treatments targeting emotion dysregulation may be useful in reducing impulsive behaviors among SUD patients with PTSD.

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Impulsive behaviors as an emotion regulation strategy: Examining associations between PTSD, emotion dysregulation, and impulsive behaviors among substance dependent inpatients

Abstract

Full Text

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