The relationship between distress tolerance and symptoms of depression: Validation of the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and short-form (DTS-SF)

Indirect effects of emotion regulation in the relationship between pain and cannabis use in adults 18-64 years

INTRODUCTION

Individuals with chronic pain often receive prescription opioid medication, and they may use cannabis to treat pain as well, although the risks of cannabis-opioid co-use are significant. This study aimed to investigate whether two transdiagnostic factors, emotion regulation and distress tolerance, had significant indirect effects in the relationship between pain and cannabis use in adults with chronic pain and an opioid prescription.

METHODS

Participants (n = 450; mean age = 38.6 ± 11.09) were recruited using Qualtrics panel service and were 75 % female and 79 % White, non-Hispanic. Participants completed a 30-minute self-report survey capturing three-month cannabis use, the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). The Graded Pain Scale (GCPS) assessed pain severity/intensity and disability. Analyses used the SPSS PROCESS macro, with both single (i.e., one transdiagnostic factor) and parallel indirect effects (i.e., both the DERS and DTS) examined.

RESULTS

There were statistically significant indirect effects for both the DERS and DTS in the relationship between pain intensity or disability and three-month cannabis use in single factor models. In the parallel indirect effect model, only the DERS was statistically significant (intensity indirect effect coefficient = 0.0195 % confidence interval [95 %CI] = 0.0065, 0.390; disability indirect effect coefficient = 0.0147, 95 %CI = 0.0055, 0.0274).

CONCLUSIONS

When examining parallel indirect effects, only emotional regulation and not distress tolerance mediated the relationship between chronic pain and cannabis use among those with an opioid prescription. Clinically, interventions aimed at improving emotional regulation in individuals with chronic pain can help limit cannabis and opioid co-use.

Perceived discrimination and problematic opioid use among Black individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain

OBJECTIVE

Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is prevalent, burdensome, and associated with an increased risk for opioid use disorder. Evidence suggests that perceived racial/ethnic discrimination is associated with problematic substance use among Black individuals, but studies have not focused on problematic opioid use among Black individuals with CMP specifically or explored the contribution of perceived discrimination, pain intensity, and pain-relevant psychological factors to this association.

METHOD

We recruited 401 Black individuals (Mage = 35.98, 51.9% female) with self-reported CMP and prescription opioid use. We tested whether perceived discrimination (a) was associated with self-reported problematic opioid use and (b) explained unique variance in this outcome after accounting for pain intensity, demographic factors, and psychological factors previously implicated in problematic opioid/substance use (distress tolerance and pain avoidance).

RESULTS

Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that our model as a whole explained significant variance in problematic opioid use, R² = .30, F(6, 394) = 28.66, p < .001. Perceived discrimination specifically was associated with more problematic opioid use (β = .39, SE = .05, p < .001) and explained unique variance in this outcome even after accounting for pain intensity (β = .06, SE = .04, p = .20), distress tolerance (β = -.10, SE = .05, p = .04), pain avoidance (β = .12, SE = .05, p = .02), age (β = -.10, SE = .05, p < .05), and employment status (β = .13, SE = .11, p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Systemic efforts to combat racism along with individualized therapeutic approaches to process and cope with perceived racial discrimination may be particularly important to prevent and reduce problematic opioid use among Black individuals with CMP. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Feeling more confident to encounter negative emotions: The mediating role of distress tolerance on the relationship between self-efficacy and outcomes of exposure and response prevention for OCD

BACKGROUND

While exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), up to half of patients do not effectively respond. In an effort to better understand the mechanisms behind ERP, the inhibitory learning model emphasizes the roles of increasing perceived self-efficacy and distress tolerance. While self-efficacy and distress tolerance have separately been shown to predict OCD symptoms and treatment outcomes, no studies have assessed their joint effects in ERP. The current study examined distress tolerance as a mediator of the relationship between self-efficacy and ERP outcomes.

METHODS

Patients in an intensive ERP-based treatment program (N = 116) completed weekly self-report measures.

RESULTS

Over the course of treatment, as OCD symptoms reduced, self-efficacy and distress tolerance both significantly increased. Importantly, increases in self-efficacy and distress tolerance mediated each other in explaining symptom reduction, suggesting a possible bi-directional effect.

LIMITATIONS

The temporal relationship between changes in self-efficacy and distress tolerance is worthy of further investigation. In addition, the current sample had limited racial diversity and might not be representative of patients receiving lower levels of care. Findings merit replication to be ascertained of their reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that during ERP, patients gain confidence in their abilities both to cope with general challenges and to withstand distress, potentially helping them engage with exposures and overcome initial fears. These findings provide support for the inhibitory learning model and highlight the mechanistic roles of self-efficacy and distress tolerance in ERP. Clinical implications to target both in treatment are discussed.

Initial Effects of a Brief Transdiagnostic Intervention on Parent Emotion Management During COVID-19

Parents are a vulnerable group to increased distress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, 80 parents with at least mildly elevated internalizing symptoms were randomized to receive a four session, transdiagnostic intervention via telehealth during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic based on the Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP-Caregiver), immediately or 6-weeks after receipt of psychoeducational materials. Results showed no between-condition differences in slopes of primary outcome measures; however, significant group differences in intercepts indicated that those receiving UP-Caregiver immediately had greater improvements in distress tolerance and intolerance of uncertainty than those in the delayed condition. Analyses also suggested within-condition improvements in emotional functioning and high satisfaction with UP-Caregiver. Results suggest that psychoeducation and symptom monitoring may be helpful to some distressed parents. Future investigations should utilize a larger sample to identify which parents might benefit the most from interventions like UP-Caregiver during crises.

The Factorial Structure, Psychometric Properties and Sensitivity to Change of the Distress Tolerance Scale for Children with Emotional Disorders

BACKGROUND

The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) was adapted for American and Chinese youth, but never for European youth. Moreover, the factor structures found in these previous studies were not consistent.

METHODS

The DTS was adapted for Portuguese children and then validated among 153 children aged 6-13 years with emotional disorders. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted; the DTS reliability and validity were analyzed, and sex and age differences were explored. A sub-sample of children who received a transdiagnostic CBT (Unified Protocol for Children) was used to analyze the DTS's sensitivity to therapeutic change.

RESULTS

The five tested models (based on previous studies) exhibited adequate fit in the CFA. However, the model previously reported for use in American children with emotional disorders was selected as the most appropriate. The DTS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, and its validity was established through significant negative associations with measures of anxiety, depression and negative affect, as well as positive associations with positive affect. Age and sex differences were discussed. The DTS scores significantly increased from pre- to post-treatment, demonstrating sensitivity to therapeutic change.

CONCLUSIONS

The DTS is a suitable and useful measure for assessing children's distress tolerance and to assess the efficacy of CBT.

Cognitive-emotional networks in students with and without a history of non-suicidal self-injury

BACKGROUND

Contemporary models of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) suggest that emotional vulnerabilities, negative self-schemas, and beliefs about NSSI work together to differentiate students who self-injure from those who do not. However, it is unclear how these mechanisms are differentially related among students with and without a history of NSSI. Considering this, we used a network analysis approach to explore how students with and without a history of NSSI vary in processing their emotional experiences in relation to their self-concepts and beliefs about NSSI.

METHOD

A sample of 480 university students (M_age = 21.18, SD = 2.43; 73.5 % female) completed self-report measures about their perceived emotional experiences (e.g., emotional reactivity, emotion regulation difficulties), self-concepts (e.g., self-esteem, self-efficacy), and NSSI.

RESULTS

A network comparison test revealed that students with a history of NSSI perceived themselves to have difficulties regulating particularly intense, unwanted negative emotions. In light of this, students with a history of NSSI expected some benefits of NSSI (e.g., emotion regulation) regardless of potential barriers (e.g., pain). Conversely, for students without a history of NSSI, expecting NSSI to have aversive outcomes was tied to expecting NSSI to have few benefits.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design limits inferences to be made about the network structures.

CONCLUSIONS

Students with and without a history of NSSI appear to differ in their cognitive processing of negative emotions and strategies used to deal with these emotions.