Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2025

A General Method for Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Intravenous Methamphetamine Self-Administration
Published on: January 22, 2016
Emotion Regulation Can Effectively Improve Decision-Making Behaviors of Individuals Who Use Methamphetamine
Purpose:
Negative emotions can cause people to make irrational decisions, and decision-making disorders may lead individuals who use methamphetamine (meth) to relapse. Therefore, the current study was performed to investigate whether emotion regulation (ER) can improve negative emotions and thus improve decision-making behavior of individuals who use meth.
Method:
Based on the Iowa Gambling Task, a three-factor mixed experimental design was used to examine the effects of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression strategies on negative emotions and decision-making behaviors of 157 individuals who use meth.
Results:
Cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression were effective in reducing participants' negative emotions and improving decision-making behaviors. Specifically, two types of ER strategies were effective in improving decision-making abilities of participants with negative emotional distress, and cognitive reappraisal was more effective than expressive suppression.
Conclusion:
Regarding cognitive reappraisal, female participants showed better decision-making behavior than males, which predicts that females who use meth might be more adept at using cognitive reappraisal. This finding suggests that mental health providers should aid substance users in managing their negative emotions and also pay attention to gender differences during the nursing process. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 62(11), 27-34.].
Related Concept Videos
Decision Making
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
CNS Stimulants: Cocaine, Amphetamines and Cannabinoids
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Adrenergic Agonists: Indirect-Acting Agents
One mechanism involves depleting stored catecholamines by displacing them from synaptic vesicles. These agents, known as "displacers," are transported into vesicles at the expense of noradrenaline. Examples include amphetamine and tyramine, which lack a catechol moiety, resulting in prolonged action, improved oral...

