The role of distress tolerance in the momentary relationship between negative affect and drinking in daily life

Individual differences in how well people are able to endure unwanted emotional states, or distress tolerance, may impact whether and how much people drink in response to negative affect, as well as the degree to which their negative affect declines after drinking. We examined trait distress tolerance as a moderator of the daily life association of negative affect with subsequent alcohol use, and vice versa.

Participants (N = 41) completed four assessments per day for 60 days. We examined whether distress tolerance moderates the relationship between cumulative negative affect so far that day and any subsequent alcohol use (vs. no use, Model 1; total drinks consumed, Model 2), as well as the cumulative number of drinks consumed and subsequent negative affect (Model 3).

Greater cumulative negative affect was associated with reporting greater cumulative alcohol quantities (Model 2), though not with any alcohol use (Model 1). Distress tolerance did not moderate these relationships. However, distress tolerance significantly moderated the association of cumulative drinks and subsequent negative affect. Simple slopes indicated that consuming more alcohol was associated with greater reductions in negative affect in participants with low distress tolerance.

Findings suggest a complicated relationship between negative affect, distress tolerance, and alcohol use. Greater reductions in negative affect following alcohol use in people with low distress tolerance may potentially place them at greater risk of developing alcohol use disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).