The Association Between Emotional Control and Affect Lability and Alcohol Problems Among College Students

Negative consequences of alcohol use are a significant concern among the college population. Previous research has highlighted the importance of emotional processes linked to alcohol-related issues. This study investigated the role of effortful emotional control, poor emotional (i.e., sadness and anger) regulation, and affect lability on alcohol use and related problems using a sample of college students.

Participants were recruited from two Midwestern universities (N = 274). Self-report measures were administered to assess their effortful emotional control, poor sadness and anger regulation, affect lability, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the mediating effect of poor emotional (i.e., sadness and anger) regulation in the relationship between (1) effortful emotional control and alcohol-related problems and (2) affect lability and alcohol-related problems.

Poor emotional regulation mediated the relationship between (1) effortful emotional control and alcohol-related problems and (2) affect lability and alcohol-related problems. Poor regulation of sadness and anger was directly associated with alcohol problems as well as indirectly via alcohol consumption.

Our results provide some evidence that individuals with greater self-regulation are less likely to exhibit spontaneous reactions to negative affect, which can lead to fewer alcohol-related issues. On the other hand, individuals with frequent emotional fluctuations may struggle to control their reactions to negative affect, making them more vulnerable to alcohol-related problems. Distinguishing between these two emotional processes, specifically effortful emotional control and affect lability in the context of anger and sadness, may help clarify our understanding of the mechanisms associated with alcohol-related behavior.