According to recent estimates, roughly 5.1% of the global population has an alcohol use disorder, and around 35 million people have a drug use disorder. Evidence suggests that negative emotionality could be related to the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. There has also been evidence that suggests the opposite, that those with substance use disorder (SUD) are more likely to have trouble regulating their emotions. This study assesses the correlation between SUD diagnosis and emotion regulations through a systematic review and meta-analysis of current findings.
This study used the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), two self-reported questionnaires. When searching for articles to use, terms such as: “DERS,” “ERQ,” “Drug dependence,” “Alcohol”, “substance use disorder” were used. Two independent reviewers selected and conducted data extraction. Twenty-two studies were in this metanalysis. The study confirmed their original hypothesis: adults with SUDs display greater difficulties in emotion regulation compared to adults without SUDs.
Those with SUDs had much higher total DERs scores than those without SUD. Studies that used the ERQ showed that those with SUDs were more likely to use suppression than control. The studies that looked at specific drug types showed that those with AUD had the largest effect sizes, although the study points out this could be since far much less data was collected for other substances. This study showed that assessing emotion regulation in patients with addiction could allow clinicians to gain a better understanding of treatment outcomes and help with treatment plans.
Takeaway: Adults with substance use disorder display greater difficulties in emotion regulation compared to those without substance use disorder.