Could Alcohol Abuse Drive Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators’ Psychophysiological Response to Acute Stress?

Abstract

Proactively aggressive individuals have been shown to present a different pattern of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation from that of individuals characterized by reactive violence. Although attempts have been made to classify intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators based on ANS reactivity to acute stress, subsequent studies have failed to replicate this classification. Notably, the proposed classification neglected the role of chronic alcohol abuse in ANS dysregulation and the fact that this dysregulation entails an abnormal stress response. The aim of the present study was to analyze the response profile (psychological state and ANS response) of groups of IPV perpetrators with high (n = 27) and low (n = 33)-risk alcohol use to an acute stressor, compared to controls (n = 35). All IPV perpetrators scored higher on executive dysfunctions and impulsivity and showed larger decreases in positive affect, less satisfaction, and a higher external locus of control after the stressor than controls. IPV perpetrators with low-risk alcohol use had higher skin conductance levels and breathing reactivity than controls, especially during preparatory, task, and recovery periods. This information could help to develop methods for increasing batterers’ behavioral self-regulation, thus decreasing IPV recidivism risk.

The Importance of Considering Alexithymia during Initial Stages of Intimate Partner Violence Interventions to Design Adjuvant Treatments

“…Nevertheless, the absence of significant moderation models also might be explained by methodological questions, such as the methods chosen to assess these variables. In fact, several studies highlight the importance of studying the frequency of use along with accounting for the amount of drug consumption during each use when studying drug misuse effects [34,35,36]. It is also important to employ other ways to assess psychological variables, such as cognitive tests in combination with self-reports [37,38,39].…”

Long-Term Drug Misuse Increases the Risk of Cognitive Dysfunctions in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: Key Intervention Targets for Reducing Dropout and Reoffending

“…This result is especially interesting and calls for attention to the fact that weekly alcohol consumption by IPVAW perpetrators is higher than 50 g per week, being approximately 240 g per week. In fact, several studies have stated that a weekly consumption greater than this amount is extremely harmful to health, cognition, and/or behavioral regulation [40,41,42,43,44,45,46], even considering that Spain is a Mediterranean country with a permissive culture regarding alcohol consumption. In fact, the daily consumption of alcohol, such as a glass of wine or beer [47], is common.…”

Alexithymia as a Predictor of Arousal and Affect Dysregulations when Batterers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Cope with Acute Stress

“…", "Your colleagues scored higher on these tasks", "We recommend that you try harder", etc.). This study protocol has demonstrated its validity in promoting ANS changes in several populations [32,40,41]. During the SCL register, the following periods were included: resting, preparatory, stressor, and recovery (post-task).…”

“…Another recent study complemented previous ones by incorporating the role of alcohol misuse in autonomic regulation in coping with stress. It was concluded that these dysregulations were more marked than in non-violent individuals because alcohol and impulsivity traits were higher [32]. Nonetheless, these studies did not pay attention to alexithymia traits and whether they play a role in explaining the differential autonomic response of IPVAW perpetrators to acute stress.…”