Emotion Dysregulation as a Mediator of the Relationship between PTSD and Alcohol Misuse

Both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance misuse, which are highly comorbid, have been linked to emotion dysregulation. In this investigation, facets of emotion dysregulation were examined as potential mediators between PTSD symptoms and alcohol misuse in a sample of 139 combat Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn veterans (45% African American; 89% men). The Impulse Control Difficulties facet mediated the relationship between PTSD symptoms and alcohol misuse for men. No significant mediating relationships were found for women, possibly due to the small number of women in the sample. Although the full scale of emotion dysregulation did not mediate the relationship between PTSD symptoms and alcohol misuse for the full sample or for either gender, the results highlight the link between PTSD symptoms, impulsivity, and alcohol misuse