Comparison of Emotional Processing Between Patients with Substance Use Disorder and Those with Dual Diagnosis: Relationship with Severity of Dependence and Use During Treatment

This study analyzed, in a Spanish sample, the differences in emotional processing in patients diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) and patients with a dual diagnosis (DD), and tested whether alterations in emotional regulation were related to the severity of dependence and consumption during treatment. A descriptive follow-up study was conducted with 88 adult outpatients (83% men) who were receiving treatment for alcohol and cocaine SUD. Of the sample, 43.2% presented dual diagnosis according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Emotional processing was assessed with the IAPS, and dependence severity with the SDSS. Consumption was determined with self-reports and toxicological tests. Regression analyses revealed that the DD group had more difficulties in identifying the valence and arousal of the images than patients with SUD. Patients with DD presented more difficulty in identifying images in which valence was manipulated, but not in those in which arousal was manipulated. Cocaine use during treatment was associated with difficulties in identifying unpleasant (U = 734.0; p < .05) and arousing (U = 723.5; p < .05) images. Although these results are preliminary, findings suggest that impaired emotional processing is aggravated in dual patients, although it may be a common transdiagnostic factor in SUD and other comorbid mental disorders. Findings highlight the importance of evaluating emotional regulation to better understand its possible role in the maintenance of substance use.

Impulsivity Predicts Relapse—but Not Dropout—in Outpatients with SUD: a Longitudinal Study

The objective of this study was to compare performance on a comprehensive impulsivity battery of SUD outpatients who dropout versus those who do not dropout and of abstainers versus relapsers at 3 and 12 months of treatment follow-up. Impulsivity was measured at the start of treatment and adherence and relapse at 3 and 12 months. The participants are 115 outpatients with SUD. Motor impulsivity (Affective Go/No Go), attentional impulsivity (Stroop), delay discounting (Monetary Choice Questionnaire; MCQ), and decision making (Iowa Gambling Task; IGT) were assessed. Impulsivity was not associated with dropout. There were no relationships between treatment outcomes and the MCQ and IGT. Stroop and affective Go-No Go were associated with relapse at 3 and 12 months. Affective motor disinhibition and cognitive disinhibition predict relapse in outpatients. No cognitive aspect of impulsiveness is related to dropout.

Validación de las Escalas Uso Problemático de Medios con Pantallas y su versión corta en población española

El uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en edades tempranas es cada vez más generalizado. El objetivo de este trabajo fue aportar evidencias de validez y de fiabilidad de la adaptación al español de la Escala de Uso Problemático de Medios con Pantallas (Problematic Media Use Measure) y su versión corta (Problematic Media Use Measure Short Form). Ambas evalúan el uso problemático de los medios con pantalla en menores de 4 a 11 años, con la información proporcionada por sus progenitores. La evidencia de validez se basó en el análisis de su estructura interna y su relación con otras variables, y la estimación de su fiabilidad se basó en el modelo Omega de McDonald. La muestra consistió en 230 progenitores de alumnos de dos centros de educación infantil y primaria de la provincia de Huelva (España), con una edad media de 39.58 años (DE = 5.70). Los progenitores aportaron datos de 230 menores, con edades entre los 4 y los 11 años (M = 8.65; DT = 2.12). De estos, 111 eran niños (48.3%) y 116 niñas (50.4%), con tres participantes omitiendo el género. Los resultados, obtenidos mediante un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio, muestran que ambas escalas se ajustan a un modelo unidimensional y cuentan con altos valores de confiabilidad (valor Omega de McDonald de .96 para la escala completa y de .90 para la reducida). Se encontró que los dispositivos más utilizados fueron TV, DVD y vídeos, y que su uso se correlacionó positiva y significativamente con la preocupación de los padres. Ambas escalas en su versión española se muestran como instrumentos útiles para evaluar el uso problemático de los medios con pantallas a partir del reporte de los padres