TY - JOUR
T1 - Role of emotion dysregulation in the relationship between childhood abuse and probable PTSD in a sample of substance abusers
AU - Weiss, Nicole H.
AU - Tull, Matthew T.
AU - Lavender, Jason
AU - Gratz, Kim L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Support for this study was provided by a contract from the Mississippi State Department of Health awarded to the second (MTT) and last author (KLG). The authors would like to thank Mr. Forea Ford and the former Country Oaks Recovery Center for their assistance with this project. The authors would also like to thank Sarah Anne Moore, Rachel Brooks, and Jessica Fulton for their assistance with data collection on this project.
PY - 2013/11
Y1 - 2013/11
N2 - This study examined associations among childhood abuse, emotion dysregulation, and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within a sample of 93 substance use disorder (SUD) patients in residential treatment. SUD patients with probable PTSD (vs. non-PTSD) reported (a) greater severity of childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and (b) significantly higher levels of overall emotion dysregulation and the specific dimensions of difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior when upset, difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed, limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, and lack of emotional clarity. Additionally, significant positive associations were found between both childhood physical and emotional (but not sexual) abuse on the one hand and dimensions of emotion dysregulation on the other. Further analyses indicated that difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed accounted for the associations of both childhood physical and emotional abuse with probable PTSD status. Findings of the present study highlight a potential mechanism underlying the relationships between both childhood emotional and physical abuse and PTSD in SUD patients.
AB - This study examined associations among childhood abuse, emotion dysregulation, and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within a sample of 93 substance use disorder (SUD) patients in residential treatment. SUD patients with probable PTSD (vs. non-PTSD) reported (a) greater severity of childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and (b) significantly higher levels of overall emotion dysregulation and the specific dimensions of difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior when upset, difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed, limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, and lack of emotional clarity. Additionally, significant positive associations were found between both childhood physical and emotional (but not sexual) abuse on the one hand and dimensions of emotion dysregulation on the other. Further analyses indicated that difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed accounted for the associations of both childhood physical and emotional abuse with probable PTSD status. Findings of the present study highlight a potential mechanism underlying the relationships between both childhood emotional and physical abuse and PTSD in SUD patients.
KW - Childhood emotional abuse
KW - Childhood physical abuse
KW - Childhood sexual abuse
KW - Emotion dyregulation
KW - Posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - Substance dependence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84887619143&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.03.014
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.03.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 23643388
AN - SCOPUS:84887619143
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 37
SP - 944
EP - 954
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
IS - 11
ER -