Cavicchioli M, Movalli M, Vassena G, Ramella P, Prudenziati, Maffei C. (2019). The therapeutic role of emotion regulation and coping strategies during a stand-alone DBT skills training program for alcohol use disorder and concurrent substance use disorder. Addictive Behaviors. 98. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106035
Researchers examined the mediating roles of coping skills in the relationships between emotion regulation and alcohol use disorder (AUD) and co-occurring substance use disorders in a study evaluating dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) intervention for AUD. Researchers recruited 108 individuals with AUD to complete an intensive, 3-month DBT intervention. Participants completed assessments of addiction severity (alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, cannabis), difficulties in emotion regulation, and coping involving DBT skill use and dysfunctional coping strategies at baseline, 1 month, and post-intervention (3 months). Participants also completed urine toxicology screens at least twice a week that were used to determine continuous days of abstinence during treatment. Significant decreases in continuous days of abstinence during treatment, severity of addiction to alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, and cannabis, and difficulties in emotion regulation were observed between baseline and post-intervention. Participants also significantly improved DBT skill use between baseline and post-intervention. Researchers found that difficulties with emotion regulation were related to severity of addiction to alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, and cannabis. DBT skill use and dysfunctional coping skills mediated the relationship between difficulties with emotion regulation and severity of alcohol addiction. Dysfunctional coping skills mediated the relationship between difficulties with emotion regulation and severity of addiction to benzodiazepines. Researchers note that the mediating role of coping skills in the relationship between difficulties with emotion regulation and severity of addiction to alcohol and benzodiazepines deserve further research and highlight that addressing coping skills could be an important goal for interventions targeting alcohol and benzodiazepines use disorders.