Year: 2003
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: here is considerable evidence that a number of apparently impulsive or addictive \nbehaviours (e.g., self \n- \nharm, alcohol or substance misuse) can be triggered by negatively \nvalenced affective states, and that the behaviours serve the f \nunction of blocking awareness of \nintolerable emotions. However, the evidence base for this pattern of emotionally \n- \ndriven blocking \nbehaviours is relatively patchy, because there has been little systematic investigation of the \nemotions that trigger different \nblocking behaviours. In this preliminary study of emotionally \n- \ndriven \nblocking behaviours, 53 non \n- \nclinical women completed a self \n- \nreport measure of the link between \nspecific affective states (anger, anxiety, boredom, depression, loneliness) and different b \nlocking \nbehaviours (smoking; aggression; drinking alcohol; overeating; compulsive spending; stealing; \nself \n- \nharm; ‘risky’ sexual behaviour). The results indicate a relatively specific pattern of \nassociation between different emotions and blocking behaviours \n. In addition, that linkage was \nstronger when the individual had a higher level of behavioural impulsivity, particularly where the \nemotion was loneliness or anger. These findings suggest that individuals who display such \nbehaviours might benefit from skill \ns training for adaptive affect regulation, although further \nresearch is needed to determine the generalizability of these results to broader clinical and non \n- \nclinical populations.
Authors: Eva Peñas‐Lledó, G. Waller
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2193454276