Cited by 395Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesBehavioral Health and Interventions

Deficits in emotion-regulation skills predict alcohol use during and after cognitive–behavioral therapy for alcohol dependence.

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Berking, Matthias, Margraf, Matthias, Ebert, David, Wupperman, Peggilee, Hofmann, Stefan G., Junghanns, Klaus·2011·Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: As emotion regulation is widely considered to be a primary motive in the misuse of alcohol, our aim in the study was to investigate whether deficits in adaptive emotion-regulation skills maintain alcohol dependence (AD). METHOD: A prospective study investigated whether emotion-regulation skills were associated with AD and whether these skills predicted alcohol use during and after treatment for AD. Participants were 116 individuals treated for AD with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Emotion regulation and severity of AD symptoms were assessed by self-report. Alcohol use during treatment was assessed by Breathalyzer and urine analysis for ethyl glucuronide; alcohol use during the 3-month follow-up interval was assessed by self-report. RESULTS: Pretreatment emotion-regulation skills predicted alcohol use during treatment, and posttreatment emotion-regulation skills predicted alcohol use at follow-up, even when controlling for other predictors potentially related to emotion regulation. Among a broad range of specific emotion-regulation skills, the ability to tolerate negative emotions was the only skill that negatively predicted subsequent alcohol consumption when controlling for the other skills. Individuals in the AD sample reported significantly larger deficits in emotion-regulation skills than did those in a nonclinical control sample but significantly less than did those in a sample of individuals exclusively meeting criteria for major depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Enhancement of general emotion-regulation skills, especially the ability to tolerate negative emotions, appears to be an important target in the treatment of AD.

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Berking M Poppe C Luhmann M Wupperman P Jaggi V Seifritz E Emotion-regulation skills and psychopathology: Is the ability to modify emotions the pathway by which all other skills affect mental health? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 2010 Manuscript currently under review at
  2. Linehan MM Skill Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder 1993b Guilford Press New York
  3. Lowman C Allen J Stout R Marlatt’s taxonomy of high-risk situations for relapse: Replication and extension Addiction 1996 91 51 71 8997781
  4. Marlatt GA Donovan DM Relapse prevention: Maintenance strategies in the treatment of addictive behaviors 2005 Guilford Press New York 2nd ed

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Authors
Berking, M., Margraf, M., Ebert, D., Wupperman, P., Hofmann, S. G., & Junghanns, K.
Affiliations
  • Philipps University of Marburg (DE)
  • University of Lübeck (DE)
  • City University of New York (US)
  • Boston University (US)
Venue
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
Published
2011-06
Volume
79
Issue
3
Pages
307-318
ISSN
  • 0022-006X (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-2117
OpenAlex
W1972419890
Cited by
395
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 5
FWCI
12.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Multilingual Matters (Channel View Publications) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH078308)
  • Swiss National Science Foundation (PA001-113040; PZ00P1-121576)
  • German Society for Research in Rehabilitation Medicine (vffr-sh 91)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
Keywords
emotion regulation, alcoholism, cognitive behavioral therapy, alcohol consumption, medication adherence, relapse, major depressive disorder
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Alcohol Drinking, Alcoholism, Mental Disorders, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Predictive Value of Tests, Prospective Studies, Recurrence, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Outcome, Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry)

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