A Preliminary Examination of Negative Affect, Emotion Dysregulation, and Risky Behaviors among Military Veterans in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Substance use disorder (SUD) is highly prevalent among military populations and associated with a wide range of negative outcomes. The goal of the present study was to explicate the relations among negative affect, emotion dysregulation, and urges to engage in risky behaviors among military veterans in residential SUD treatment. Emotion dysregulation (overall and three dimensions: access to emotion regulation strategies, impulse control, and emotional awareness) mediated the relation between negative affect and urges to engage in risky behaviors. Findings highlight the potential utility of treatments targeting emotion dysregulation in reducing risky behaviors among military veterans with SUD.