The role of coping in moderating within-day associations between negative triggers and substance use cravings: A daily diary investigation

Abstract

To address the lack of research examining within-person processes associated with the maintenance of abstinence from substance use, this study examines both associations between negative affect and social experiences and same-day levels of substance use cravings among college students in ‘Twelve-Step’ substance abuse recovery and the role of coping strategies in moderating these within-day associations. The sample consisted of 1222 end-of-day reports made by 55 recovering college students, 39 males and 16 females. Findings include that daily cravings were predicted by same-day negative affect and each of four negative social experiences. Moreover, each of these within-day associations was moderated by individuals' levels of avoidance coping. In contrast, problem-solving coping only moderated the associations between negative affect and cravings. These findings document a within-day mechanism through which coping strategies, especially avoidance coping, may influence daily variation in cravings and in turn affect abstinence.