Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Vol 39(4), Jun 2025, 321-331; doi:10.1037/adb0001049
Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the moderating role of racial–ethnic identity in the relation between emotion dysregulation and alcohol use and related harms among Asian Americans. Method: An adult sample of Asian Americans (N = 105, 67.6% women) participated in a study examining emotional experiences across different racial and ethnic groups that assessed emotion dysregulation (Difficulties With Emotion Regulation; Difficulties With Emotion Regulation–Positive), alcohol use and related harms (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), and ethnic–racial identity (Ethnic Identity Scale). Results: Negative and positive emotion dysregulation were both significantly positively associated with alcohol use and related harms. A series of moderation analyses revealed that different dimensions of ethnic–racial identity moderated this relationship. Negative emotion dysregulation was significantly positively associated with alcohol use and related harms at lower levels of ethnic–racial identity Affirmation, and positive emotion dysregulation was significantly positively associated with alcohol use and related harms at higher levels of ethnic–racial identity Resolution. Conclusions: This study is the first to test the moderating role of ethnic–racial identity in the associations between negative and positive emotion dysregulation and alcohol use and related harms among Asian Americans. Results of this study suggest that emotion dysregulation may play a key role in the maintenance of alcohol use and related harms among Asian Americans. Findings also suggest that an assessment of ethnic–racial identity may help identify Asian Americans who are most likely to benefit from interventions targeting negative and positive emotion dysregulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)