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

描述（由申请人提供）：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%的人口经历过物质使用障碍。此外，据估计，由于生产力损失以及医疗保健、犯罪和禁毒执法的成本，美国每年因药物使用障碍造成5590亿美元的损失（其中1810亿美元是由于非法药物造成的）。不幸的是，维持有问题的药物使用的心理机制仍然知之甚少，正如药物使用治疗结果不佳（例如，高治疗退出率和治疗后复发率）所证明的那样。以往的理论和研究已经确立了消极影响体验与某些物质（如酒精和尼古丁）的物质使用之间的联系。然而，在非法物质（如可卡因、海洛因）方面尚未探讨这种关系。另一个与药物使用有关的因素是自我控制，自我控制能力差的人更有可能有问题的药物使用水平。迄今为止，很少有研究调查了自我控制如何在纵向上调节NA和物质使用之间的关系。此外，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将预测未来的非法药物使用，这将由Aim 1建立。此外，我预测自我控制的不同方面将调节这种关系（目的2）。更具体地说，我预测检测自我控制需求的能力不会缓和两者之间的关系

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.