Citation

Parrott DJ, Swartout KM, Eckhardt CI, Subramani OS. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2017; 36(1): 88-96.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/dar.12454

PMID

28116760

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Problematic drinking and executive functioning deficits are two known risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, executive functioning is a multifaceted construct, and it is not clear whether deficits in specific components of executive functioning are differentially associated with IPA perpetration generally and within the context of problematic alcohol use. To address this question, the present study investigated the effects of problematic drinking and components of executive functioning on physical IPA perpetration within a dyadic framework. DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were 582 heavy drinking couples (total n = 1164) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from two metropolitan cities in the USA. Multilevel models were used to examine effects within an actor-partner interdependence framework.

RESULTS: The highest levels of physical IPA were observed among actors who reported everyday consequences of executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation whose partners were problematic drinkers. However, the association between executive functioning deficits related to emotional dysregulation and IPA was stronger towards partners who were non-problematic drinkers relative to partners who were problematic drinkers. No such effect was found for executive functioning deficits related to behavioural regulation.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Results provide insight into how problematic drinking and specific executive functioning deficits interact dyadically in relation to physical IPA perpetration.

© 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Language: en

Keywords

actor-partner interdependence model; domestic violence; emotion regulation; heavy drinking; intimate partner violence