The role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on posttraumatic stress symptoms and alcohol use problems among individuals experiencing intimate partner violence.

OBJECTIVE

Emotion regulation is central to the etiology, course, and treatment of both posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and alcohol use disorder. Therefore, it is critical to investigate emotion regulation among populations susceptible to more severe and prolonged PTSS and alcohol use problems, such as those with intimate partner violence. Cognitive emotion regulation strategies are used to modify emotional information and include both presumed adaptive (i.e., acceptance, planning, positive refocusing, reappraisal, putting into perspective) and maladaptive (i.e., self-blame, other-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing) strategies.

METHOD: This study examined whether specific cognitive emotion regulation strategies are associated with PTSS (PCL-5) and heavy alcohol consumption (Timeline Followback) and problem severity (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) among couples with alcohol use disorder and physical intimate partner violence (N = 100 couples).

RESULTS

Results of multilevel models accounting for individuals nested within couples indicated that self-blame, other-blame, and catastrophizing were associated with greater PTSS. Reappraisal was associated with less alcohol consumption and less severe alcohol problems, and catastrophizing was associated with more alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the cognitive emotion regulation strategies most relevant to PTSS and alcohol misuse among a high-risk sample. This information can help guide clinical practice, such as focusing on reducing the maladaptive emotion regulation skills while increasing reappraisal. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).