Distress tolerance and special alcohol metacognitions behave differently in the association of negative affect with alcohol-related patterns in men with problematic alcohol use in the abstinence phase.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of negative affect including depressive, anxious and stress symptoms on alcohol craving and problematic alcohol use via the paths of distress tolerance, and both positive and negative alcohol-related metacognitions. Three hundred men with problematic alcohol use during the abstinence phase completed psychological and clinical measures. Results showed that craving and negative alcohol metacognitions mediated the relationship between negative affect and problematic alcohol use. Negative affect had a direct and positive effect on craving and indirect effect via distress intolerance and positive alcohol metacognitions. In turn, distress intolerance and positive alcohol metacognitions indirectly and positively affected problematic alcohol use via craving. The study indicates that distress tolerance and distinct alcohol metacognitions may be differently related to various patterns of alcohol-related problems, such that alcohol drinkers with high levels of negative affect, distress intolerance and positive alcohol metacognitions show higher levels of craving; while high negative affect in relation to high negative alcohol metacognitions and alcohol craving is related to the perpetuation of alcohol use or problematic alcohol use. PMID: 32896028 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Clin Psychol Psychother Source Type: research