A Comparative Study on Emotional Regulation in Males With Internet Addiction, Food Addiction, Opioid Dependence and Normal Peers

Abstract

Objectives: Difficulty in emotional regulation is an important component in the pathology of different types of addiction and its evaluation can be helpful in understanding and treating these difficulties. The purpose of this study is to evaluate emotional regulation in people with opioid dependence (heroin and opium), food addiction, and internet addiction compared to normal people. Methods: This is a causal- comparative study. Participants were 120 eligible male addicts selected using a purposive sampling method and divided into four groups of 30 including drug addiction, food addiction, internet addiction, and control. Semi-structured clinical interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders, Yale Food Addiction Scale, and Young’s Internet Addiction Test were used to diagnose the addictions. Then the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) was completed. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the collected data. Results: Overall DERS score and the score of its subscales were higher in all three addiction groups compared to the control group, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the three addiction groups in subscales of “unwillingness to accept certain emotional responses” and “difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior”, but a significant difference between the three addiction groups was observed in subscales of “difficulty controlling impulse”, “lack of emotional awareness”, “lack of access to strategies”, “lack of emotional clarity”, and overall DERS score (P<0.05). Conclusion: Men with opioid dependence, internet addiction and food addiction have more difficulties in emotional regulation compared to their normal peers. Emotional regulation ability in men with internet addiction is greater than in those with food and opioid addictions.

The Effect of Training Based on Metacognition and Emotion Regulation on Health Behavior Self-management of Overweight Middle-aged People

“…The result about metacognition is in agreement with previous results (Castro Muñoz et al, 2021;Lenzo et al, 2020;Nameni et al, 2017;Palmieri et al, 2021;Cinar & Schou, 2014) and the result about emotion regulation training is in agreement with that of other studies (Miller et al, 2018;Morawetz et al, 2020;Pachón-Basallo et al, 2021;Steward et al, 2019;Gomez & Perez, 2020;Isasi et al, 2013;Ferrer & Mendez, 2018;Babaei et al, 2021). To explain the results obtained about metacognitive training, it can be said that according to the theory of self-regulation of executive function (S-REF), metacognitive training affects self-regulation through negative relationship with cognitive attention syndrome (CAS) and self-regulation has a positive relationship with selfefficacy (Kaplan, 2008;Salari Far & Mazaheri, 2010;Cera et al, 2013;Pour vakhshoori et al, 2011).…”

Executive Functions and Problematic Internet Use among University Students: The Mediator Role of Self-Esteem

“…In addition, Babaei et al found that emotional regulation was related to different addictions, such as Internet addiction, food addiction and opioid addiction [22]. Similarly, Trumello et al argued that excessive Internet use may be an attempt by people to avoid dealing with negative emotions as it allows instant emotional avoidance, as well as distraction and disconnection [23].…”

“…Studies have also established a relationship between difficulties in emotional regulation, such as a poor ability to understand, control and manage negative emotions, and problematic Internet use in young students, specifically, a preference for online social interactions [22][23][24].…”

Adicción a internet en estudiantes mexicanos de educación secundaria

“…Así mismo también se ha demostrado que la adicción hacia el internet llega a provocar efectos negativos en las personas, es decir problemas de conducta y de los impulsos, conflictos y discusiones en las relaciones interpersonales (Mufasa y Aysan, 2017; Neverkovich et al, 2017). El problema es real, ya que según algunos estudios la adicción hacia el internet es similar a la adicción hacia los alimentos debido al abuso de sustancias, así como el abuso de su uso, por el cual llega a tener una conducta como la regulación emocional (Babaei et al, 2021;Romero Rodríguez et al, 2021).…”