Emotion dysregulation as a mechanism linking anxiety and hazardous drinking among Latinos in primary care

Background and Objectives: Research suggests that Latinos experience significantly more mental health and alcohol use problems than non-Latino whites. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying alcohol use in this population. One factor associated with excessive alcohol use in Latinos is anxiety. A potential explanatory mechanism for this relationship is emotion dysregulation, as emotion dysregulation in the context of anxiety may lead to alcohol use problems/disorders. The aim of the current study was to examine the indirect effect of anxiety, through emotion dysregulation, on drinking severity and probable hazardous drinking in Latinos. Methods: Latino adults (N = 264) were recruited from a primary care health clinic as part of a larger ongoing study examining mental health among Latinos in primary care. Participants were interviewed using the MINI and then completed various self-report assessments (in Spanish). Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate model fit. Results: Structural models fit the data well. Additionally, there were statistically significant indirect effects of anxiety via emotion dysregulation on drinking severity and probable screen for hazardous drinking. Discussion and Conclusions: Anxiety may contribute to alcohol use problems due to an overall tendency to engage in maladaptive attempts to regulate emotions. Scientific Significance: Targeting emotion dysregulation in the context of anxiety and hazardous alcohol use among Latinos may be one therapeutic strategy to reduce severity of alcohol use (and hazardous drinking). (Am J Addict 2017;26:615–622).