Negative affect and illicit substance use: The moderating role of self-control

描述(申请人提供)：物质使用障碍是最常见的精神障碍之一，在给定的一年中，大约9%的人口经历了物质使用障碍。此外，据估计，在美国，由于生产力下降以及医疗保健、犯罪和毒品执法的成本，物质使用障碍每年造成5590亿美元的损失(其中1810亿美元是由非法物质造成的)。不幸的是，维持问题物质使用的心理机制仍然知之甚少，药物使用的治疗结果不佳(例如，治疗辍学率和治疗后复发率高)就证明了这一点。以前的理论和研究已经确定了负面影响(NA)的经历与某些物质(如酒精和尼古丁)的物质使用之间的联系。然而，在非法物质(例如可卡因、海洛因)中尚未探讨这种关系。另一个与物质使用有关的因素是自我控制，自我控制能力较差的人更有可能出现物质使用水平的问题。到目前为止，很少有研究研究自我控制如何调节NA和纵向药物使用之间的关系。此外，还没有研究检验自我控制和NA在预测非法药物使用方面的相互作用。我预测，与酒精和尼古丁类似，最近的A将预测未来的非法物质使用，这将由目标1建立。此外，我预测自我控制的不同方面将缓和这种关系(目标2)。更具体地说，我预测发现自我控制需求的能力不会缓和两者之间的关系 毒品和非法药物的使用。这是因为认识到自我控制的必要性对于成功的自我控制是必要的，但不是充分的。按照这一逻辑，可以预见，自我控制的两种方式--调整行为和坚持诱惑--将会调节物质关系，即自我控制能力高的个体比自我控制能力低的个体与非法物质使用之间的关系更弱。这些关系将在药物使用障碍患者的样本中建立，这些患者完成了精确的实验室措施，评估了自我控制的不同方面。随后，参与者将在四周内每周报告NA和物质使用情况。这项研究的结果将扩大我们对非法药物使用的维持因素的认识。这一理解反过来可能有助于开发更有效的药物使用障碍治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Substance use disorders are among the most common mental disorders, with approximately 9% of the population experiencing a substance use disorder in a given year. Moreover, it is estimated that substance use disorders cost 559 billion dollars a year in the United States (of which 181 billion is due to illicit substances) dueto lost productivity and costs of health care, crime, and drug enforcement. Unfortunately, the psychological mechanisms that maintain problematic substance use are still poorly understood, as evidenced by poor treatment outcomes for substance use (e.g., high treatment drop-out and high rates of relapse after treatment). Previous theory and research has established a link between the experience of negative affect (NA) and substance use for some substances (e.g., alcohol and nicotine). Yet, this relation has not been explored in illicit substances (e.g., cocain, heroin). Another factor that has been linked to substance use is self-control, with individuals wit poorer self-control being more likely to have problematic levels of substance use. To date, few studies have examined how self-control might moderate the relation between NA and substance use longitudinally. Further, no study has examined the interaction between self-control and NA in the prediction of illicit substance use. I predict that similar to alcohol and nicotine, recent A will predict future illicit substance use, which will be established by Aim 1. Furthermore, I predit that different aspects of self-control will moderate this relation (Aim 2). More specifically, I predict that the ability to detect the need for self-control will not moderate the relation between NA and illicit substance use. This is because identifying the need for self-control is necessary, but not sufficient, for successful self-control. Following this logic, it is predicted that two metods of self-control, adjusting behavior and persisting through temptation, will moderate the NA - illict substance relation, such that individuals with a higher ability to exert self-control will have a weaker relation between NA and illicit substance use compared to individuals with a lower ability to exert self-control. These relations will be established in a sample of individuals with substance use disorders who complete precise laboratory measures assessing different aspects of self-control. Subsequently, the participants will report weekly NA and substance use for four weeks. The results of this study will expand our knowledge of the maintenance factors of illicit substance use. This understanding, in turn, may be used to aid the development of more effective treatments for substance use disorders.