SCHEMATIC FUNCTIONING AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION IN ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE: A CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL SAMPLE COMPARISON
Abstract
Background: Alcohol consumption-related disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders globally, with dependent consumption having increased in Portugal in recent years. Therefore, it is urgent to identify the psychological variables associated with this consumption to enhance the development of effective therapeutic interventions. The literature has shown a significant association between schematic functioning and emotional regulation difficulties in both clinical samples and the general population. Methods: The present study aims to examine these variables in two samples - one with participants with alcohol dependence in treatment (N=166) and another without indicators of dependence (N=295) of the general population. The goal is to determine whether there are differences suggesting that certain factors are more specific to alcohol dependence. The Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ) was used to the clinical sample, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to the non-clinical sample, and to both, the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S3) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results: The results reveal that individuals with alcohol dependence exhibit more early maladaptive schemas and emotional regulation difficulties, compared to individuals without this consumption pattern. Conclusions: The relevance of these findings for the development of psychotherapeutic interventions in the treatment of alcohol dependence is discussed.