Emotional Regulation Related to Substance Use, Academic Competence, and Symptomatology

3^rd PAPER WITHIN ORGANIZED PAPER SYMPOSIUM

PRESENTATION TYPE: Organized Paper Symposium

 

CATEGORY/THEME: Epidemiology and Etiology

 

TITLE:  Emotional Regulation Related to Substance Use, Academic Competence, and Symptomatology

ABSTRACT BODY:

 

Introduction:

Behavioral self-regulation has been recognized as an important determinant of adolescent substance use. The ability to delay gratification, plan activities systematically, and consider future consequences of behavior have all been related to adolescent smoking and drinking, while measures of impulsivity and distractibility have been found to be risk factors for substance use. Emotion regulation (e.g., regulation of anger and depression) has been suggested as also being relevant for adolescent outcomes, but there is little information about the range of effects for emotion regulation from epidemiological samples.

 

Methods:

The present report is based on a sample of 2,039 adolescents on Oahu, Hawaii (52% female; 37% Asian American, 32% Filipino, 22% Native Hawaiian, 4% Caucasian, 2% African American, 2% Hispanic). The participants were 7^th and 8^th grade students in public schools and were surveyed in classrooms with a confidential questionnaire by trained research staff. Emotional self-control was assessed with a 13-item inventory based on validated measures of emotional soothability, sadness regulation, and anger regulation (Wills et al., PAB 2011). Emotional dysregulation was assessed with a 14-item inventory based on measures of affective lability, angerability, and anger rumination. An overall substance use score was the sum of 7-point scales for frequency of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and marijuana use. Multiple regression analyses were performed in which the emotion regulation and dysregulation measures (r = -.37) were entered simultaneously with demographic controls.

 

Results:

Results with substance use score as the criterion variable indicated standardized coefficients were -.10 (p < .0001) for emotional self-control and .15 (p < .0001) for emotional dysregulation. Coefficients with academic competence as criterion were .40 (p < .0001) and -.06 (p < .01), respectively, and with academic disengagement as criterion were -.10 and .46, respectively (both p < .0001). Coefficients for externalizing symptomatology were -.17 and .48 respectively (both p < .0001), for internalizing symptomatology were -.09 and .51 respectively (both p < .0001), and for positive well-being were .41 (p < .0001) and -.06 (p < .01), respectively.

 

Conclusions:

The results together show that emotional regulation is related to a wide range of adolescent outcomes that are relevant for prevention research, and that emotional self-control and dysregulation make independent contributions to outcomes. Suggestions are made for incorporating emotion regulation constructs in preventive interventions.