Emotion Regulation in Male Abstinent Heroin Abusers

Abstract

The present study examined 25 male prisoners with a history of heroin dependency ( M = 35.3 yr., SD = 8.5, range = 21–48) and 25 male prisoners with no history of substance abuse ( M = 31.5 yr., SD = 9.8, range = 19–47) who were selected to complete the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Results showed that the group with a history of heroin dependency used a cognitive reappraisal strategy less frequently than controls and that there was no difference in the use of expression suppression strategies between the two groups. It was concluded that the negative impact of heroin abuse on an individual's emotion regulation is primarily reflected in the cognitive reappraisal dimension.