Research suggests that alcoholics are more likely to experience emotions such as annoyances, frustrations and anger compared to non-alcoholics.
A new study at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) will investigate these anger emotions and how they might be addressed in outpatient alcoholism treatment. In this study, researchers will develop a treatment specifically focused on anger management for use with individuals with drinking problems and will then examine the effects of the new treatment protocol in a pilot clinical trial.
The study is funded by a $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and will run through 2013.
“We have seen that alcoholics score higher on various measures of anger emotions than non-alcoholics,” explained Kimberly S. Walitzer, Ph.D., lead investigator on the study. “Furthermore, anger emotions can play a role in relapse to drinking following a period of abstinence from alcohol use. If we can help individuals to manage anger emotions differently, we should be able to help them cope in different ways other than drinking.”
Source: University at Buffalo
