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Self-control often fails when people experience negative emotions. Negative urgency represents the dispositional tendency to experience such self-control failure in response to negative affect. Neither the neural underpinnings of negative urgency nor the more general phenomenon of self-control failure in response to negative emotions are fully understood. Previous theorizing suggests that an insufficient, inhibitory response from the prefrontal cortex may be the culprit behind such self-control failure. However, we entertained an alternative hypothesis: negative emotions lead to self-control failure because they excessively tax inhibitory regions of the prefrontal cortex. Using fMRI, we compared the neural activity of people high in negative urgency with controls on an emotional, inhibitory Go/No-Go task. While experiencing negative (but not positive or neutral) emotions, participants high in negative urgency showed greater recruitment of inhibitory brain regions than controls. Suggesting a compensatory function, inhibitory accuracy among participants high in negative urgency was associated with greater prefrontal recruitment. Greater activity in the anterior insula on negatively-valenced, inhibitory trials predicted greater substance abuse one month and one year after the MRI scan among individuals high in negative urgency. These results suggest that, among people whose negative emotions often lead to self-control failure, excessive reactivity of the brain's regulatory resources may be the culprit. •Urgency predicts greater PFC activity during negative-valence inhibition.•Greater PFC activity compensated for urgency's inhibitory deficits.•Greater insular response predicted alcohol abuse after the scan.

Negative urgency is a unique dimension of impulsivity that involves acting rashly when in extreme distress and impairments in inhibitory control. It has been hypothesized to derive from stress that is related to negative emotional states that are experienced during the stage of the addiction cycle. Classically, a transition to compulsive drug use prevents or relieves negative emotional states that result from abstinence or stressful environmental circumstances. Recent work suggests that this shift to the \"dark side\" is also implicated in impulsive use that derives from negative urgency. Stress and anxious, depressed, and irritable mood have high comorbidity with addiction. They may trigger bouts of drug seeking in humans both negative reinforcement and negative urgency. The neurocircuitry that has been identified in the \"dark side\" of addiction involves key neuropeptides in the central extended amygdala, including corticotropin-releasing factor. The present review article summarizes empirical and conceptual advances in the field to understand the role of the \"dark side\" in driving the risky and detrimental substance use that is associated with negative urgency in addiction.

Previous studies demonstrated that boredom leads to increased self-administration of painful electric stimulation, a proxy for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, in these experimental studies, participants had no behavioral alternatives besides electric stimulation to break the monotony. A first aim in the current experimental study was to examine whether boredom still leads to self-administering aversive stimuli when positive behavioral alternatives are present. This boredom effect was furthermore compared to an anger induction. The second aim was to examine whether history of NSSI and negative urgency (i.e., the tendency to engage in impulsive action in response to negative emotions) positively moderate the link between boredom and self-administered aversive stimuli. In a between-subjects design using college students (N = 129), participants were randomly assigned to one of three emotion induction writing tasks (i.e., boredom, anger, neutral), during which frequency of self-administered positive (chirping birds) and aversive (screaming pig) sounds was measured. The latter was used as a proxy for NSSI behavior. Results showed that boredom led to increased selection of aversive sounds compared to the neutral and anger conditions, despite the presence of a positive alternative (i.e., positive sounds). No difference in frequency of selecting the aversive sounds was observed between the anger and neutral condition. Neither history of NSSI nor negative urgency moderated the effect of condition on self-administered aversive stimuli. The current results tentatively support a causal and specific link between boredom and NSSI, and warrant further examination of the role of boredom in maladaptive behaviors such as NSSI.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as self-inflicted pain, and it is used as a mechanism to alleviate psychological distress. Although NSSI is prevalent in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it is also an increasing concern among college student populations. While emotion dysregulation and negative urgency are associated with NSSI, little is known about which dimensions specifically predict the motivations (NSSI-functions) and frequency of self-harm. The current study explored the relationship between emotion dysregulation, negative urgency, and NSSI in 86 young adults, divided into three groups: college students with NSSI, BPD patients with NSSI, and a healthy control group without NSSI. We conducted multiple regression analyses to predicted NSSI-functions and NSSI-frequency. Non-acceptance of emotions, a specific dimension of emotion dysregulation, uniquely predicted intrapersonal NSSI-functions (e.g., regulating distressing emotions), but not interpersonal NSSI-functions (e.g., communicating distress). Lastly, poor emotion regulation strategies predicted NSSI-frequency only in individuals with high negative urgency, that is, individuals who tend to act impulsively when experiencing negative emotions, but not in those with low negative urgency. Findings shed light on the underlying motivations for engaging in self-injury, and they reveal facets of emotion dysregulation relevant for NSSI treatment. La Autolesión No Suicida (ANS) se define como un dolor auto-infligido que se utiliza como un mecanismo para aliviar la angustia psicológica. Aunque ANS es común en el trastorno límite de la personalidad (TLP), también es un problema creciente en estudiantes universitarios. Si bien la desregulación emocional y la urgencia negativa están asociadas con ANS, poco se sabe sobre las dimensiones específicas que predicen la motivación (funciones) y la frecuencia de las autolesiones. Se exploró la relación entre la desregulación emocional, la urgencia negativa, y ANS en 86 adultos jóvenes, divididos en tres grupos: estudiantes universitarios con ANS, pacientes TLP con ANS y un grupo de control sano sin ANS. Realizamos análisis de regresión múltiple para predecir las funciones y frecuencia de ANS. La no aceptación de las emociones, una dimensión especifica de la desregulación emocional, predijo de manera única las funciones intrapersonales de ANS, pero no las funciones interpersonales. Por último, la falta de estrategias de regulación emocional predijo la frecuencia de ANS solo en individuos con una alta urgencia negativa, es decir, individuos que tienden a actuar impulsivamente cuando experimentan emociones negativas, pero no en aquellos con una baja urgencia negativa. Los hallazgos resaltan las motivaciones subyacentes a la autolesión y revelan facetas de la desregulación emocional relevantes para el tratamiento de ANS.

Problematic alcohol use and binge eating frequently co-occur. High levels of negative affect, negative urgency, and/or shame may increase the likelihood that problematic alcohol use and binge eating co-occur over time. Examine 1) the temporal relationship between problematic alcohol use and binge eating among college women, who are at high risk for both, and 2) the additive and moderating effects of shared, emotion-based risk factors in models involving both problematic alcohol use and binge eating. In n = 302 college women assessed at two time points across 8 months, we used hierarchical linear regression to invstigate our objectives. Baseline problematic alcohol use and baseline shame independently predicted increases in follow-up binge eating, controlling for baseline binge eating. In addition, the interaction between problematic alcohol use and shame accounted for further variance in subsequent binge eating (the influence of baseline problematic alcohol use on follow-up binge eating was stronger at higher levels of baseline shame). The reciprocal relationship was not significant: baseline binge eating did not predict follow-up problematic alcohol use independently or in conjunction with risk factors. Neither negative affect nor negative urgency showed predictive effects beyond prior behavior and shame. Results support 1) problematic alcohol use as a prospective risk factor for binge eating, 2) shame as an additive predictor of binge eating, and 3) shame as a positive moderator of binge eating prediction from problem drinking. Addressing shame and problematic alcohol use may be warranted in binge eating interventions for college women. •College women are at high risk for both problematic alcohol use and binge eating.•The longitudinal relationship between them is less studied among college women.•Problematic alcohol use prospectively predicted greater binge eating.•The relationship was stronger at higher levels of shame.

High levels of negative urgency imply risk for impulsive and potentially self-destructive behavior. The social consequences of these impulsive states remain poorly understood. In the present study, we examined how state-like fluctuation in negative urgency provokes day-to-day interpersonal stressors using experience sampling methods. We recruited 119 adults with a history of recurrent self-injury to complete surveys of negative urgency and interpersonal stress (i.e., exposure to criticism and rejection) 4 times per day over 14 days. Results from hierarchical linear models showed that when people experienced more negative urgency, relative to their personal norms, they were more likely than usual to encounter interpersonal stress over the next few hours. There was some evidence to suggest that this within-person connection was more pronounced for people who tended to have higher negative urgency levels in general across the experience sampling period. We interpret these findings in the context of stress generation theory, and we conclude that within-person variation in negative urgency may represent a clinically useful model of near-term risk for interpersonal dysfunction.

Distressful and negative affective states can be associated with limited self-regulation capacities, while emotion regulation processes (e.g., rumination, negative urgency) might contribute to further depletion of self-control capacities which in turn can lead to diminished control over cannabis use. The mediating functions of rumination (i.e., brooding and reflection), negative urgency (NU) and constructs of cannabis use regulation (i.e., cannabis protective behavioral strategies [CPBS] and cannabis refusal self-efficacy [CRSE]) were examined on the associations between anxious-depressive symptoms and cannabis use outcomes (i.e., frequency, harmful use). The cross-sectional study used a sample of cannabis users showing signs of harmful consumption (N = 750; Males: 70.13% [N = 526]; Age: M = 29.11 [SD = 7.45]). Standardized questionnaires measured anxious-depressive symptoms, rumination, NU, CRSE, CPBS, frequency of cannabis use and harmful cannabis use. A linear regression-based, double-mediation model was performed. Five significant indirect effects were demonstrated in the mediation model. Single-mediation effects were shown between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use via CRSE and via CPBS. Double-mediation effects were presented between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use via reflection and CPBS, via reflection and CRSE, and via NU and CRSE. Emotion and cannabis use regulation pathways explained the associations between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use. The mediation model provided new details on how anxious-depressive symptoms, rumination and NU might lead to harmful cannabis use via regulation of cannabis use. Limited self-regulation capacities and similarities between emotion and cannabis use regulation processes might explain the identified indirect effects. •Emotion and substance use regulation pathways were tested between anxious-depressive symptoms and harmful cannabis use.•Indirect effects were shown via cannabis refusal self-efficacy, and via cannabis protective behavioral strategies.•Double-mediation pathways were shown via reflection and protective behavioral strategies, and refusal self-efficacy.•A double-mediation pathway was shown via negative urgency and cannabis refusal self-efficacy.

Background: Problematic internet use is receiving increasing attention in the addiction field, yet the mechanisms driving such behaviours remain unclear. Previous research has shown that impulsivity- and compulsivity-related constructs may interactively contribute to a range of problematic behaviours. The current study examined whether distress-driven impulsivity and psychological flexibility may interactively contribute to problematic internet use, which has not been addressed in prior literature. Method: Two hundred and one participants completed an online survey. Bootstrapped moderation analysis was conducted to examine the collected data on distress-driven impulsivity, psychological flexibility, and their interaction in relation to problematic internet use. Results: The interaction between distress-driven impulsivity and psychological flexibility was significantly related to problematic internet use. Simple slope tests confirmed that distress-driven impulsivity was associated with problematic internet use among individuals with low flexibility levels. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the moderating role of psychological inflexibility in the association between distress-driven impulsivity and problematic internet use. Prevention and/or early interventions for problematic internet use should consider targeting psychological inflexibility and distress-driven impulsivity.

University students are a vulnerable population to the development of disordered eating, such as food addiction (FA) and grazing. FA is an emerging concept characterized by an intense desire to eat hyper-palatable foods. Grazing is characterized by the repetitive and unplanned ingestion of food throughout a period of time. Both FA and grazing have been associated with increased scores of negative urgency (NU) and difficulties in emotion regulation (ER). This study aims to evaluate the frequency of FA and grazing in a university population and to test the direct, total, and indirect effects—via FA—of ER and NU on repetitive eating and compulsive grazing. A total of 338 participants responded to a set of psychological measures assessing these variables. Thirty-six (10.7%) participants met the criteria for FA diagnosis and 184 (54.4%) presented grazing. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indexes for the model tested (χ2(1695) = 3167.575; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.955; NFI = 0.908; TLI = 0.953; SRMR = 0.085; RMSEA = 0.051; CI 90% (0.048; 0.053); P[RMSEA ≤ 0.05] = 0.318) and suggested that FA partially mediated the effect of difficulties in ER and NU on grazing, specifically on compulsive grazing. The results indicate that individuals with difficulties in ER and impulse control under negative emotions are more likely to engage in grazing if food addiction scores are higher. These results highlight the importance of assessing these variables, particularly in at-risk populations such as university students.

Background A hallmark of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a disposition to anger, irritability and aggression. High impulsivity, particularly high emotional impulsivity (urgency), has been associated with aggression in BPD patients. Aims This study aimed to explore, in a sample of patients with BPD, the subtleties of the relationship between borderline symptomatology, different facets of impulsivity, and an aggressive disposition. Methods Two hundred and twenty patients with a DSM-5 (Sect. 2) diagnosis of BPD were assessed on measures of impulsivity (UPPS model), aggression (Brief Aggression Questionnaire, BAQ-12) and borderline symptoms (Borderline Personality Questionnaire, BPQ). Results Results showed: (i) there was a close relationship between BPD symptomatology and an aggressive predisposition measured by BAQ-12; (ii) emptiness and intense anger were the BPD symptom dimensions most significantly associated with aggression (iii) both negative and positive urgency, and to a lesser extent lack of premeditation and sensation seeking, mediated the relationship between borderline symptom dimensions and aggression. Discussion & conclusion Results suggest a close relationship between almost all dimensions of BPD, but especially anger, and impulsive aggression. They further suggest that urgency, particularly negative urgency, mediates this relationship. Future studies will need to parse aggression into motivationally distinct types.