An Examination of the Role of Emotion Dysregulation and Affect Regulation Motives in the Relationship between Attachment and Alcohol Use and Consequences in Emerging Adults
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Previous research has found that insecure attachment styles (i.e., anxious and avoidant) are predictive of emotion dysregulation in emerging adulthood (EA; Arnett, 2000; Shaver Mikulincer, 2007). Further, emotion dysregulation has been linked to alcohol consequences in EA (Dvorak et al., 2014). However, no studies to date have examined the role of drinking motives in the pathway from insecure attachment to alcohol consequences. Participants in the current study were 218 EAs (ages 18-24, M= 21.06; SD=1.90, 64.7% female) who completed measures of attachment styles, emotion dysregulation, drinking motives, and alcohol use and consequences. Using path analysis, insecure attachment emerged as a significant predictor of emotion dysregulation. Coping motives better predicted alcohol consequences than alcohol use, and thus emerged as an important marker of alcohol consequences. Results suggest that attachment-focused, emotion regulation strategies might be efficacious treatment targets for clinical interventions aimed at reducing problematic drinking in EA.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Sarah Haller
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2559981468