Julianne C Flanagan1, Amber M Jarnecke2, Ruschelle M Leone3, Daniel W Oesterle3. 1. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President St, Charleston, SC 29425, United States; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, United States. Electronic address: hellmuth@musc.edu. 2. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President St, Charleston, SC 29425, United States. 3. Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3995, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States; Department of Health Policy & Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3995, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Social stress in the form of maladaptive relationship conflict is a common precipitant to alcohol misuse and problems. Research has also established a clear causal association between alcohol misuse and relationship conflict in the form of intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the robust literature linking relationship conflict and problematic drinking using survey methodology, no laboratory studies have examined the proximal association between relationship conflict and alcohol craving among couples, or the influence of IPV perpetration and victimization on this association. METHOD: As part of a larger randomized controlled trial, 30 different-sex community couples with substance misuse completed a laboratory conflict resolution task. Participants reported subjective alcohol craving on a Likert-type scale immediately, before, and after the task. Conflict behaviors were coded by trained observers. Analyses were conducted using a multilevel modeling framework to account for the dyadic nature of the data. RESULTS: Findings indicate that psychological and physical IPV perpetration and victimization strengthened the associations between negative and positive conflict behaviors and alcohol craving among men only. Contrary to our hypotheses, no main or moderating effects of conflict behaviors, IPV perpetration, or IPV victimization were found for women. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this exploratory study suggest that in this sample, relationship conflict and IPV in one's current relationship played a more impactful role on acute alcohol craving among men compared to women. Future studies should examine the role of specific conflict behaviors on alcohol craving and relapse risk, and patterns of communication that might increase or reduce risk for exacerbated alcohol craving.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Social stress in the form of maladaptive relationship conflict is a common precipitant to alcohol misuse and problems. Research has also established a clear causal association between alcohol misuse and relationship conflict in the form of intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the robust literature linking relationship conflict and problematic drinking using survey methodology, no laboratory studies have examined the proximal association between relationship conflict and alcohol craving among couples, or the influence of IPV perpetration and victimization on this association. METHOD: As part of a larger randomized controlled trial, 30 different-sex community couples with substance misuse completed a laboratory conflict resolution task. Participants reported subjective alcohol craving on a Likert-type scale immediately, before, and after the task. Conflict behaviors were coded by trained observers. Analyses were conducted using a multilevel modeling framework to account for the dyadic nature of the data. RESULTS: Findings indicate that psychological and physical IPV perpetration and victimization strengthened the associations between negative and positive conflict behaviors and alcohol craving among men only. Contrary to our hypotheses, no main or moderating effects of conflict behaviors, IPV perpetration, or IPV victimization were found for women. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this exploratory study suggest that in this sample, relationship conflict and IPV in one's current relationship played a more impactful role on acute alcohol craving among men compared to women. Future studies should examine the role of specific conflict behaviors on alcohol craving and relapse risk, and patterns of communication that might increase or reduce risk for exacerbated alcohol craving.
Authors: Bonnie Law; Matthew J Gullo; Mark Daglish; David J Kavanagh; Gerald F X Feeney; Ross M Young; Jason P Connor Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2016-03-25 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Amanda E Higley; Natania A Crane; Andrea D Spadoni; Susan B Quello; Vivian Goodell; Barbara J Mason Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2011-05-24 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Matthew E Stohs; Terry D Schneekloth; Jennifer R Geske; Joanna M Biernacka; Victor M Karpyak Journal: Alcohol Alcohol Date: 2019-03-01 Impact factor: 2.826
Authors: Kylie Richardson; Andrew Baillie; Sophie Reid; Kirsten Morley; Maree Teesson; Claudia Sannibale; Martin Weltman; Paul Haber Journal: Addiction Date: 2008-06 Impact factor: 6.526