Military sexual trauma and alcohol misuse among military veterans: The roles of negative and positive emotion dysregulation

Introduction: Alcohol misuse is a significant clinical concern among military and veteran populations, particularly among individuals who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). Emotion dysregulation may be an important factor influencing alcohol misuse among individuals with a history of MST. Objective: The current study thus examined the role of negative and positive emotion dysregulation in the association between MST type and alcohol misuse among military veterans. Method: Data were collected from a community sample of 515 veterans (Mage = 37.48, 71.3% male, 70.5% White). Results: Mediation analyses indicated that negative and positive emotion dysregulation (separately) explained the relation between military sexual assault and alcohol misuse, but not military sexual harassment. Conclusions: Findings emphasize the clinical relevance of addressing negative and positive emotion dysregulation in relation to alcohol misuse among veterans with a history of sexual assault MST