Investigating the effects of emotion dysregulation and repetitive negative thinking on alcohol hangover anxiety and depression.

Introduction: Underlying factors associated with alcohol hangover psychological symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, have not been identified. Emotion dysregulation and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) are transdiagnostic factors associated with psychopathology, including non-hangover anxiety and depression. The current study prospectively examined the role of emotion dysregulation on subsequent alcohol hangover anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as the moderating role of RNT on this relation among university students.

Methods: One hundred thirty-six participants completed baseline assessments of emotion dysregulation (DERS-16) and non-hangover anxiety and depression (DASS-21). Thirty-nine participants reported experiencing alcohol hangover at 2-week follow up and completed assessments of RNT (PTQ) and hangover anxiety and depression (modified DASS-21). Two independent regression-based moderation analyses were conducted to examine the relation of baseline emotion dysregulation, 2-week follow-up RNT, and hangover anxiety and depression symptoms after accounting for baseline non-hangover anxiety and depression symptoms.

Results: Among those experiencing alcohol hangover (n = 39), emotion dysregulation and RNT were not associated with hangover related anxiety beyond non-hangover anxiety. Emotion dysregulation significantly predicted hangover depression but was rendered non-significant by the addition of RNT, which was significantly associated with hangover depression. RNT moderated the emotion dysregulation-hangover depression relation such that emotion dysregulation was not associated with future hangover depression at low levels of RNT but was positively associated with hangover depression at moderate to high levels of RNT.

Conclusion: Results provide preliminary support for the role of emotion dysregulation and RNT in hangover depression severity.