Emotion dysregulation in participants with substance use disorders: A metacognitive perspective

Background: Using the metacognitive model of emotion dysregulation as a basis, this study explored whether, among participants with substance use disorders (SUDs), metacognitive beliefs and repetitive negative thinking were associated with emotion dysregulation. Methods: 127 participants with SUDs and 127 controls without SUDs were recruited. Emotion dysregulation, metacognitive beliefs, rumination, worry, anxiety, and depression were assessed. t-tests, Mann–Whitney tests, logistic regression, correlation, and hierarchal regression analyses were run. Results: Participants with SUDs reported significantly higher levels of emotion dysregulation, positive beliefs about worry, beliefs about the need to control thoughts, rumination, and worry, compared to controls without SUDs. Among participants with SUDs negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, cognitive confidence, beliefs about the need to control thoughts, rumination, and worry were significantly associated with an increase of emotion dysregulation. Limitations: The cross-sectional design. Conclusion: Emotion dysregulation, metacognitive beliefs, and repetitive negative thinking may contribute to increase the risk of substance use. Among participants with SUDs emotion dysregulation is associated with the tendency to endorse dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and report repetitive negative thinking. Metacognitive beliefs and repetitive negative thinking could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce emotion dysregulation among participants with SUDs.