Alexithymia and Alcohol Dependence: The Roles of Negative Mood and Alcohol Craving.

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Abstract

Background: Alexithymia is a personality trait associated with emotion regulation difficulties. Up to 67% of alcohol-dependent patients in treatment have alexithymia. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of alexithymia, negative mood (stress, anxiety, and depression) and alcohol craving on alcohol dependence severity. Methods: Three hundred and fifty-five outpatients (mean age = 38.70, SD = 11.00, 244 males, range 18-71 years) undergoing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for alcohol dependence completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) prior to the first treatment session. Results: Alexithymia had an indirect effect on alcohol dependence severity, via both negative mood and alcohol craving (b = 0.03, seb = 0.008, 95% CI: 0.02-0.05). An indirect effect of negative mood on alcohol dependence via alcohol craving was also observed (b = 0.12, seb = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.07-0.16). Conclusions/importance: Alexithymia worked through negative mood and alcohol craving leading to increased alcohol dependence severity, indicating that craving had an indirect effect on the relationship between alexithymia and alcohol dependence severity. Targeting alcohol craving and negative mood for alcohol-dependent patients with alexithymia seems warranted.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Subst Use Misuse

Title: Substance use & misuse

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

ISSN (Electronic): 1532-2491

ISSN (Print): 1082-6084

Publication date (Electronic): 2019

Volume: 54

Issue: 14

Affiliations

[1 ] National Centre for Dual Diagnosis, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Brumunddal, Norway.

[2 ] Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

[3 ] School of Psychology and Counseling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

[4 ] Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

[5 ] School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

[6 ] Department of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.

[7 ] Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

[8 ] School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.

[9 ] Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, Faculty of Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

[10 ] Discipline of Psychiatry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

[11 ] Alcohol & Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

[12 ] Department of Emergency Medicine, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.

[13 ] Department of Respiratory Medicine, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.

Article

DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2019.1650773

PubMed ID: 31429362

SO-VID: e1bd441b-2b8f-4bcf-9c35-d589b13c5ffa

History

Keywords: Alexithymia,alcohol craving,alcohol dependence,negative mood

Data availability:

Keywords: Alexithymia, alcohol craving, alcohol dependence, negative mood

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