The relationship of emotional status and difficulties in emotion regulation of addicts: a cross-cultural analysis
The modern point of view on the mechanisms of addictive disorders disclaims an important role to the assessment of the emotional status of patients with alcoholism, due to the importance of this parameter both in the occurrence and during alcoholism. Disorders or deficiencies in the mechanisms of emotion regulation under the influence of stressors determine maladaptive behavioral patterns including alcohol consumption and the formation of addiction. This study examined the relationship between anxiety, depression and difficulties in regulating emotions in two groups of patients with alcohol dependence (St. Petersburg, Yakutsk). The severity of subclinical anxiety symptoms of patients with alcoholism was established, the greatest difficulties in regulating emotions are associated with a limited range of emotional regulation strategies, non-acceptance of emotional reactions, difficulties in maintaining purposeful behavior as well as restraining impulsive reactions. Intergroup differences and relationships in the measured parameters are shown.