Negative affect variability as a potential mechanism of behavior change in alcohol use disorder treatment.

Negative affect and affect variability figure prominently in models of addictive behaviors but are not without controversy. Negative affect variability may better capture a mechanism of behavior change in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment because it contains information about affect regulation, a common clinical target. The aims of this study are to examine the change in: (a) trajectory of negative affect variability, (b) association of negative affect variability and abstinence, and (c) association of negative affect variability and heavy drinking during AUD treatment.