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Updated: Oct 11, 2025
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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
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Emotion regulation and substance use: A meta-analysis
Nicole H Weiss1, Reina Kiefer1, Svetlana Goncharenko1
1University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|December 5, 2021
Summary
Emotion regulation significantly impacts substance use, with abilities showing a stronger link than strategies. This relationship varies based on specific emotion regulation aspects and sample characteristics in adults.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Growing research highlights the connection between emotion regulation and substance use.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Previous studies show variability in the strength of this association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To meta-analytically evaluate the magnitude of the relationship between emotion regulation and substance use.
- To explore how different aspects of emotion regulation and sample characteristics influence this association.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search across major databases (PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL Plus, PILOTS) in December 2020.
- Inclusion criteria: studies reporting emotion regulation-substance use association, adult participants (>18 years), English language.
- Extracted 445 effects from 95 studies (N=156,025 participants).
Main Results:
- A significant overall positive correlation between emotion regulation and substance use (r=0.19, p<0.001).
- Emotion regulation abilities were more strongly linked to substance use than strategies, particularly behavioral over cognitive.
- The relationship was stronger in older and clinical samples, with mixed/inconclusive findings for sex and race.
Conclusions:
- Emotion regulation is a significant factor associated with substance use, but the magnitude varies considerably.
- Findings underscore the importance of considering specific emotion regulation facets and sample demographics.
- Future research should address limitations like cross-sectional designs and self-report measures.
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