Dysregulation Research Articles

Characterizing Life Stress Exposure Among Sexual Minority Adolescents: Temporality, Content, And Mediating Role in Mental Health Disparities.

Though sexual minority adolescents face a wide array of deleterious stressors, few studies have examined the role of specific types of stress exposure (i.e., chronic vs. episodic, interpersonal vs. non-interpersonal) on mental health disparities. This study utilizes a contextual threat-based assessment to (a) compare levels of stress exposure types between sexual minority and non-sexual minority adolescents, and (b) examine stress type as a mediator between sexual orientation and two outcomes: depressive symptoms and emotion dysregulation. Data comes from a longitudinal sample (14-17years-old, N = 241; 17.6% sexual minority; 54% assigned female at birth; 73.9% White), with two time-points (T1 and T2) utilized. Sexual minority adolescents reported higher chronic interpersonal stress, but no differences in non-interpersonal chronic or episodic stress, relative to non-sexual minority adolescents. Chronic interpersonal stress exposure mediated the link between membership in an oppressed group (i.e., sexual minority teens) and the primary outcomes (emotion dysregulation and depressive symptoms) at both T1 and T2. Findings demonstrate the utility of contextual threat-based assessments within sexual minority research.

The control patterns of affective processing and cognitive reappraisal: insights from brain controllability analysis.

Perceiving and modulating emotions is vital for cognitive function and is often impaired in neuropsychiatric conditions. Current tools for evaluating emotional dysregulation suffer from subjectivity and lack of precision, especially when it comes to understanding emotion from a regulatory or control-based perspective. To address these limitations, this study leverages an advanced methodology known as functional brain controllability analysis. We simultaneously recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 17 healthy subjects engaged in emotion processing and regulation tasks. We then employed a novel EEG/fMRI integration technique to reconstruct cortical activity in a high spatiotemporal resolution manner. Subsequently, we conducted functional brain controllability analysis to explore the neural network control patterns underlying different emotion conditions. Our findings demonstrated that the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex exhibited increased controllability during the processing and regulation of negative emotions compared to processing of neutral emotion. Besides, the anterior cingulate cortex was notably more active in managing negative emotion than in either controlling neutral emotion or regulating negative emotion. Finally, the posterior parietal cortex emerged as a central network controller for the regulation of negative emotion. This study offers valuable insights into the cortical control mechanisms that support emotion perception and regulation.

Effectiveness of the massed delivery of unified protocol for emotional disorders within an intensive outpatient program for military service members and veterans.

Recent evidence supports the implementation of massed delivery of disorder-specific treatments in the military service member and veteran population. However, many treatment settings serve patients with a wide range of diagnoses, and often patients present with comorbid conditions. Growing evidence suggests transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral treatments are effective for a wide range of emotional disorders and may reduce barriers to access. Little is known about the feasibility and outcomes of the massed delivery of transdiagnostic treatments. The present study examined real-world outcomes of a 2-week intensive outpatient program using the Unified Protocol for emotional disorders (UP-IOP). The sample included military service members and veterans diagnosed with a range of emotional disorders, namely trauma- and stressor-related disorders, unipolar depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders. The present study examined outcomes of UP-IOP (depression, trauma-related symptom severity, and emotion dysregulation). Participants included all patients who sought UP-IOP in its first 15 months of operation (N = 117). A diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was an exclusion criterion because the site had an established PTSD-specific IOP treatment option. Findings indicate UP-IOP was feasible, had 94% patient retention, and was effective in reducing symptom severity (Cohen's d = 0.76 for depression symptom severity, Cohen's d = 0.80 for trauma-related symptom severity). There was no observed reduction in emotion dysregulation over the 2-week course of treatment. The intensive transdiagnostic approach resulted in effective symptom reduction in an accelerated timeframe while minimizing patient attrition. These findings indicate massed delivery of transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatments should continue to be explored, especially for this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of adult attachment and minority stress in isolating behaviors perpetration among lesbian and gay people in Italy

AbstractAttention to Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence (SSIPV) has increased in the last decades. Isolating behaviors, however, have been poorly studied, despite the increased vulnerability to isolation experienced by gay and lesbian couples. The aim of the present study was to examine the independent effects of minority stressors (experiences of discrimination, perceived stigma, and internalized homonegativity), emotion dysregulation, and adult attachment dimensions (attachment avoidance and anxiety) on isolating behaviors perpetration. One hundred and forty-eight gay or lesbian individuals (Mage = 32.48; SD = 10.91) involved in a same-sex relationship participated in the study and completed a self-report online questionnaire. A multiple regression model was used to examine the relationship between the variables in the study. Only attachment anxiety was associated with isolating behaviors. In contrast, attachment avoidance, experiences of discrimination, perceived stigma, internalized homonegativity, and emotion dysregulation did not influence perpetration of isolating behaviors. The present study highlights the influence of attachment anxiety on isolating behaviors, suggesting the role of dysfunctional mechanisms of interpersonal distance regulation. The obtained results provide information at the theoretical and clinical level.

Childhood Trauma, Emotional Awareness, and Neural Correlates of Long-Term Nicotine Smoking

Temporal dynamic measures provide insight into the neurobiological properties of nicotine use. It is critical to determine whether brain-based measures are associated with substance use risk factors, such as childhood trauma-related emotion dysregulation. To assess temporal dynamic differences based on smoking status and examine the associations between childhood trauma, alexithymia, nicotine smoking, and default mode network (DMN) states. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Baltimore, Maryland, area at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Participants included individuals aged 18 to 65 years who smoked nicotine long term and matched controls with no co-occurring substance use or psychiatric disorders. Participants were enrolled from August 8, 2013, to August 9, 2022. Analysis was conducted from August 2022 to July 2023. Long-term nicotine smoking. The main outcome was temporal dynamic differences based on smoking status. Coactivation pattern analysis was conducted based on 16-minute resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging; total time in, persistence of, and frequency of transitions into states were evaluated. The associations between childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), alexithymia (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale), and DMN temporal dynamics were assessed. The sample included 204 participants (102 individuals who smoked nicotine and 102 control individuals) with a mean (SD) age of 37.53 (10.64) years (109 [53.4%] male). Compared with controls, individuals who smoked nicotine spent more time in the frontoinsular DMN (FI-DMN) state (mean difference, 25.63 seconds; 95% CI, 8.05-43.20 seconds; η2p = 0.04; P = .004 after Bonferroni correction). In those who smoked nicotine, greater alexithymia was associated with less time spent in the FI-DMN state (r, -0.26; 95% CI, -0.44 to -0.07; P = .007). In a moderated mediation analysis, alexithymia mediated the association between childhood trauma and time spent in the FI-DMN state only in individuals who smoked nicotine (c' = -0.24; 95% CI, -0.58 to -0.03; P = .02). Compared with controls, individuals who smoked nicotine spent more time in the FI-DMN state. Among those who smoked nicotine, childhood trauma-related alexithymia was associated with less time spent in the FI-DMN state, indicating that considering trauma-related factors may reveal alternative neurobiological underpinnings of substance use. These data may aid in reconciling contradictory findings in prior literature regarding the role of FI-DMN regions in substance use.

The Role of Emotion Dysregulation in Understanding Suicide Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Suicide prevention represents a global imperative, and efforts to identify potential risk factors are intensifying. Among these, emotional regulation abilities represent a transdiagnostic component that may have an impactful influence on suicidal ideation and behavior. Therefore, the present systematic review aimed to investigate the association between emotion dysregulation and suicidal ideation and/or behavior in adult participants. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and the research was performed through four major electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Web of Science) for relevant titles/abstracts published from January 2013 to September 2023. The review included original studies published in peer-reviewed journals and in English that assessed the relationship between emotional regulation, as measured by the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS), and suicidal ideation and/or behavior. In total, 44 studies were considered eligible, and the results mostly revealed significant positive associations between emotion dysregulation and suicidal ideation, while the findings on suicide attempts were more inconsistent. Furthermore, the findings also confirmed the role of emotion dysregulation as a mediator between suicide and other variables. Given these results, it is important to continue investigating these constructs and conduct accurate assessments to implement effective person-centered interventions.

Neurophysiological insights into impaired mentalization in borderline personality disorder an electroencephalography study.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by interpersonal and emotional instabilities, recurring suicidal tendencies, and feelings of emptiness. Childhood adverse event is reported in 70%-80% of cases involving BPD. Furthermore, the deficiency in mentalization capacity plays a significant role in emotion dysregulation and social interaction problems within individuals with BPD. This study explored the relationship among childhood adverse experiences, mentalization capacity, and neurophysiological activity in patients with BPD. Resting-state electroencephalography was used to identify the neural correlates associated with childhood adversity and mentalization deficits. The participants included 45 patients with BPD and 15 healthy controls. The BPD group exhibited reduced alpha activity during eyes-closed rest, indicating heightened arousal even during relaxation. Correlations were found between the power spectral density (PSD) and mentalization capacity in the delta and theta ranges, suggesting an association between PSD and emotional awareness and expression. Gamma activity negatively correlated with psychic equivalence, implying a blurring of the boundaries between internal mental experiences and the external world. These findings offer insights into the pathophysiology of BPD, provide potential diagnostic markers, and suggest personalized treatment approaches based on mentalization traits.

Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programmes for improving the psychosocial outcomes of children (0 to 18 years) and their parents.

Emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in children are common, characterised by externalising or internalising behaviours that can be highly stable over time. EBD are an important cause of functional disability in childhood, and predictive of poorer psychosocial, academic, and occupational functioning into adolescence and adulthood. The prevalence, stability, and long-term consequences of EBD highlight the importance of intervening in childhood when behavioural patterns are more easily modified. Multiple factors contribute to the aetiology of EBD in children, and parenting plays an important role. The relationship between parenting and EBD has been described as bidirectional, with parents and children shaping one another's behaviour. One consequence of bidirectionality is that parents with insufficient parenting skills may become involved in increasingly negative behaviours when dealing with non-compliance in children. This can have a cyclical effect, exacerbating child behavioural difficulties and further increasing parental distress. Behavioural or skills-based parenting training can be highly effective in addressing EBD in children. However, emotional dysregulation may intercept some parents' ability to implement parenting skills, and there is recognition that skills-based interventions may benefit from adjunct components that better target parental emotional responses. Mindful parenting interventions have demonstrated some efficacy in improving child outcomes via improvements in parental emotion regulation, and there is potential for mindfulness training to enhance the effectiveness of standard parent training programmes. To assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-enhanced parent training programmes on the psychosocial functioning of children (aged 0 to 18 years) and their parents. We searched the following databases up to April 2023: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Social Sciences Citation Index, Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Social Science & Humanities, AMED, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Campbell Collaboration Library of Systematic Reviews, as well as the following trials registers: ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP). We also contacted organisations/experts in the field. We included randomised and quasi-randomised trials. Participants were parents or caregivers of children under the age of 18. The intervention was mindfulness-enhanced parent training programmes compared with a no-intervention, waitlist, or attentional control, or a parent training programme with no mindfulness component. The intervention must have combined mindfulness parent training with behavioural or skills-based parent training. We defined parent training programmes in terms of the delivery of a standardised and manualised intervention over a specified and limited period, on a one-to-one or group-basis, with a well-defined mindfulness component. The mindfulness component must have included mindfulness training (breath, visualisation, listening, or other sensory focus) and an explicit focus on present-focused attention and non-judgemental acceptance. We followed standard Cochrane procedures. Eleven studies met our inclusion criteria, including one ongoing study. The studies compared a mindfulness-enhanced parent training programme with a no-treatment, waitlist, or attentional control (2 studies); a parent training programme with no mindfulness component (5 studies); both a no-treatment, waitlist, or attentional control and a parent training programme with no mindfulness component (4 studies). We assessed all studies as being at an unclear or high risk of bias across multiple domains. We pooled child and parent outcome data from 2118 participants to produce effect estimates. No study explicitly reported on self-compassion, and no adverse effects were reported in any of the studies. Mindfulness-enhanced parent training programmes compared to a no-treatment, waitlist, or attentional control Very low certainty evidence suggests there may be a small to moderate postintervention improvement in child emotional and behavioural adjustment (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.96 to 0.03; P = 0.06, I2 = 62%; 3 studies, 270 participants); a small improvement in parenting skills (SMD 0.22, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.39; P = 0.008, I2 = 0%; 3 studies, 587 participants); and a moderate decrease in parental depression or anxiety (SMD -0.50, 95% CI -0.96 to -0.04; P = 0.03; 1 study, 75 participants). There may also be a moderate to large decrease in parenting stress (SMD -0.79, 95% CI -1.80 to 0.23; P = 0.13, I2 = 82%; 2 studies, 112 participants) and a small improvement in parent mindfulness (SMD 0.21, 95% CI -0.14 to 0.56; P = 0.24, I2 = 69%; 3 studies, 515 participants), but we were not able to exclude little to no effect for these outcomes. Mindfulness-enhanced parent training programmes compared to parent training with no mindfulness component Very low certainty evidence suggests there may be little to no difference postintervention in child emotional and behavioural adjustment (SMD -0.09, 95% CI -0.58 to 0.40; P = 0.71, I2 = 64%; 5 studies, 203 participants); parenting skills (SMD 0.13, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.42; P = 0.37, I2 = 16%; 3 studies, 319 participants); and parent mindfulness (SMD 0.11, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.41; P = 0.48, I2 = 44%; 4 studies, 412 participants). There may be a slight decrease in parental depression or anxiety (SMD -0.24, 95% CI -0.83 to 0.34; P = 0.41; 1 study, 45 participants; very low certainty evidence), though we cannot exclude little to no effect, and a moderate decrease in parenting stress (SMD -0.51, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.18; P = 0.002, I2 = 2%; 3 studies, 150 participants; low certainty evidence). Mindfulness-enhanced parenting training may improve some parent and child outcomes, with no studies reporting adverse effects. Evidence for the added value of mindfulness training to skills-based parenting training programmes is suggestive at present, with moderate reductions in parenting stress. Given the very low to low certainty evidence reviewed here, these estimates will likely change as more high-quality studies are produced.

Psychometric Properties of the Theory of Mind Task Battery (French Version) in Neurotypical Children and Intellectually Disabled Children.

These studies tested the psychometric properties of the French version of the Theory of Mind (ToM) Task Battery (vf) in typically developing (TD) children and intellectually disabled (ID) children. The Battery was administered to 649 TD children (2 ½ to 12 years old) in Study 1 and 155 ID (4 ½ to 14 ½ years old) in Study 2. Their mothers completed questionnaires: in both studies, the Theory of Mind Inventory (ToMI-1-vf); in Study 1, the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM-vf) and the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC-vf); and in Study 2, the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-vf). The Battery showed good internal consistency in both groups. Positive links with age and differences between age groups were identified in their performances. Convergent validity was confirmed by positive correlations between TD children's scores in the Battery and in ToMI1-vf, in empathy, in emotion regulation, and by a negative correlation with emotion dysregulation. In ID children, their scores in the Battery were positively linked with those in ToMI-1-vf, in some scales of SCEB-vf, and had a low level of internalizing problems. This Battery presents good psychometric qualities and could be useful for explicit assessment of ToM in TD and ID children in future research and intervention.

Specific emotion regulation deficits differentiate and mediate the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and internalizing psychopathology

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) including maltreatment, abuse, and household dysfunction, are associated with an increased risk for poor physical health, psychopathology, and early mortality (Felitti et al., 1998). Exposure to ACEs is pervasive with two out of three Americans experiencing at least one ACE and 12 % reporting exposure to four or more ACEs (Poole et al., 2017). Increased exposure to ACEs is associated with various negative outcomes, including internalizing disorders and higher emotion dysregulation (ED, Cloitre et al., 2019; Diaz & Eisenberg, 2015; Poole et al., 2017; Soenke et al., 2010). ED is believed to be the nucleus of internalizing psychopathology (Mennin et al., 2005, Newman et al., 2013; Suveg et al., 2010; Werner & Gross, 2010), and has been linked to numerous disorders including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Mennin et al., 2005, Newman et al., 2013; Suveg et al., 2010). ACEs are also linked to greater internalizing symptoms via emotion regulation deficits (Miu et al., 2022; Poole et al., 2017; Soenke et al., 2010; Rudenstine et al., 2018). However, studies examining the role of ED on ACES and internalizing symptoms have utilized different conceptualizations and measures of ED, making it difficult to compare the unique contribution of ED to specific symptoms and disorders despite the therapeutic and research benefits. Therefore, the goal of the current study was first, to determine whether ED mediated the relationship between ACEs and anhedonic depression, anxious arousal, and general distress. Second, to establish which emotion regulation deficits mediated the relationship between ACEs and internalizing symptoms, and whether they differed across the three outcomes.

The interplay of mentalization and epistemic trust: a protective mechanism against emotional dysregulation in adolescent internalizing symptoms.

Mentalization is the ability to interpret actions as caused by intentional mental states. Moreover, mentalization facilitates the development of epistemic trust (ET), namely, the ability to evaluate social information as accurate, reliable, and relevant. Recent theoretical literature identifies mentalization as a protective factor, contrasting psychopathology and emotional dysregulation. However, few investigations have explored the concurrent associations between mentalization, ET and emotion dysregulation in the context of internalizing problems in adolescence. In the present study, 482 adolescents from the general population aged between 12 and 19 were assessed with the epistemic trust mistrust credulity questionnaire, the reflective functioning questionnaire- youth, the difficulties in emotion regulation scale, and the youth self-report. We tested the relationship between the variables through serial mediation models. Results showed that mentalization reduces internalizing problems via emotional dysregulation; ET is positively associated with mentalization but not symptomatology. Finally, both epistemic mistrust and epistemic credulity are significantly associated with internalizing symptomatology; those effects are mediated differently by difficulties in emotional regulation. In conclusion, the present study confirms mentalization's role as a protective factor in developmental psychopathology. Nevertheless, exploring the role of the different epistemic stances guarantees a better understanding of psychopathological pathways in adolescence.

Relationship between Internet addiction and body mass index and the predictive role of emotion dysregulation.

In recent years, the widespread use of the Internet has led to increasing concerns about problematic behaviors related to excessive Internet use and their potential consequences. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Internet addiction (IA), body mass index (BMI), and emotion dysregulation (ED). Specifically, the study aimed to determine if IA significantly predicts obesity and if both Internet addiction and obesity can be significantly predicted by ED. 367 school-attending adolescents (Mage = 13.35; SD = 0.82; 49% girls) in Tekab participated in the study. Participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), while BMI was calculated using self-reported data to assess their obesity levels. The results indicated that ED significantly predicted both IA and increased BMI levels (p < 0.001). Furthermore, IA also significantly predicted elevated BMI levels (p < 0.001). Our findings showed that ED significantly predicted both higher IA and BMI values, while IA also significantly predicted elevated BMI levels These results have important implications for treatment. To address excessive Internet use or overeating behavior in individuals with either condition, it may be necessary to target the underlying emotional dysregulation that contributes to the problem.

Suicidal and non-suicidal self-harm behaviors in victims of sexual violence against children

Sexual violence against children and suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors are two social and health problems that have increased. Sexual assaults have an impact, affecting the tendency to carry out autolytic behaviors. Therefore, it was intended to study the relationship between having been a victim of sexual violence in their childhood and the probability of engaging in suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors in adolescence and early adulthood. For this, a systematic review has been carried out, through the Pubmed and PsycInfo databases of articles published between 2015 and 2022. A significant relationship has been found between both problems, observing that the suicide attempts of these victims were intrinsically related to their experiences of aggression. Thus, it has been found that variables such as gender, rumination, emotional dysregulation, social support, and characteristics of aggression mediate the relationship between sexual violence against children and suicidal and non-suicidal autolytic behaviors. This type of investigation helps us to establish the focus of intervention in the cases of victims of child sexual assault, but it should also help to give visibility to the problem and promote preventive intervention protecting children.

Emotion dysregulation and psychopathological symptoms in non-clinical adolescents: The mediating role of boredom and social media use

BackgroundEmotion dysregulation, boredom, and problematic social media use are well-known vulnerability factors for psychopathology during adolescence; nevertheless, the interplay between these factors remains underinvestigated in the literature. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study aimed to explore the mediating role of boredom and problematic social media use in the relations between emotion dysregulation and both internalizing and externalizing problems in a non-clinical group of Italian adolescents.Method721 students (64.6% girls; Mage = 15.49 years ± 1.82) were involved and completed self-report tools assessing emotion dysregulation, boredom, problematic social media use, and psychopathological symptoms. Path analysis was used to test whether boredom and problematic social media use mediated the relation between emotion dysregulation and psychopathology, distinguishing between internalizing and externalizing problems.ResultsPath models showed that emotion dysregulation predicted both internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as boredom and problematic social media use. Importantly, boredom mediated the associations between emotion dysregulation and both psychopathological dimensions, while problematic social media use mediated only the relation with externalizing problems.ConclusionsOur results highlight that the influence of emotion dysregulation on psychopathology can manifest through different paths, leading to specific symptomatology based on interactions between various variables. In particular, boredom seems to be a transdiagnostic factor for psychopathology in adolescence, whereas problematic social media use would be a dimension-specific factor. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Adaptation and validation of the French version of empathy questionnaire in preschoolers

AbstractAt preschool age, children need to develop socio‐emotional skills, including empathy, in order to adapt their response during social interactions with peers and adults in various contexts. When preschoolers face difficulties in their social interactions, it is relevant to assess their empathy in order to know whether a specific preventive intervention is needed. This study aimed to adapt and validate the French version of the Empathy Questionnaire (EmQue‐vf), which was completed by Belgian mothers of 307 children aged from 2 to 6 years. Mothers also completed the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM‐vf), Theory of Mind Inventory (ToMI1‐vf) and Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC‐vf). A CFA confirmed a three‐factor structure for EmQue‐vf, including 14 items loading onto three factors: (1) Emotion Contagion, (2) Attention to Others’ Feelings, and (3) Prosocial Actions. This structure was confirmed for the boys’ and girls’ samples treated separately, as well as for the overall sample. Internal consistency ranged from acceptable for Emotion Contagion to good for Attention to Others’ Feelings and Prosocial Actions. In terms of concurrent criterion validity with GEM‐vf, the three factors of EmQue‐vf correlated positively with the affective empathy score and only the Prosocial Actions scale was positively linked with the cognitive empathy score. In terms of construct validity, Pearson's correlations showed a positive link between age and Prosocial Actions. Moreover, the three EmQue‐vf subscales were linked positively to Theory of Mind and emotion regulation scores. A negative link was obtained between Prosocial Actions and emotion dysregulation scores. In conclusion, EmQue‐vf presents good psychometric qualities. It will be a useful in future research and interventions involving French‐speaking children with and without developmental disorders.

The impact of emotional dysregulation and comorbid depressive symptoms on clinical features, brain arousal, and treatment response in adults with ADHD.

The role of emotional dysregulation (ED) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become an important issue. This study, in which we analyzed data from a predictive pharmaco-EEG-trial, aimed to examine whether symptoms of ED in adult ADHD affect ADHD symptom severity, brain arousal regulation as measured by resting EEG, and the response to stimulant medication. ED is defined as having a sex- and age-corrected T-score of >70 on the emotional lability subscale of the German version of Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale. A total of 115 participants were included in the study, 56 of whom had ED. Participants with ED were more impaired in terms of the severity of core ADHD symptoms, especially inattentive symptoms, comorbid depressive symptoms, interpersonal relationships, and quality of life. In addition, participants with ED were more likely to report a total score above 13 on the Beck Depression Inventory-II, which was considered to be the cutoff for mild depression. No differences were found between the ED and non-ED groups in response to stimulant medication or in brain arousal regulation. In addition, there was no significant effect of ED with comorbid depressive symptoms on treatment response. There was a trend for subgroups that showed a change in brain arousal regulation associated with symptom improvement. Our findings may support the assumption that ED may be an important feature of ADHD. The use of EEG-based brain arousal regulation as a diagnostic and predictive tool in ADHD in the presence of ED and comorbid depressive symptoms should be further investigated.

Does Childhood Trauma Predict Impulsive Spending in Later Life? An Analysis of the Mediating Roles of Impulsivity and Emotion Regulation

AbstractWe sought to investigate whether adverse childhood experiences increase impulsive spending in later life, and whether emotion dysregulation and impulsivity mediate this association. Limited research has examined associations between these factors, and examining the mechanisms involved may inform interventions for impulsive spending. This study used a cross-sectional, correlational design including 189 adult participants who completed an online survey assessing childhood trauma, adverse childhood experiences, impulsive spending, impulsivity, and emotion dysregulation. Greater adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma were positively correlated with impulsive spending, as well as general impulsivity and emotion dysregulation. Mediation analyses indicated that emotion dysregulation and greater impulsivity accounted for the positive relationship between childhood trauma and impulse spending. Adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma are associated with increased risk of impulse spending in adulthood via elevated general impulsivity and emotion dysregulation.

Criminalizing Psychopathology in Black Americans: Racial and Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Psychopathology and Arrests

Black Americans are arrested at disproportionate levels compared with White Americans. We sought to understand whether the association between psychopathology and arrest record is equally strong for Black Americans and White Americans, hypothesizing that the association would be stronger for Black Americans. In a sample of adults (age: M = 34.81 years), we found that at the same level of psychopathology severity, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity, Black Americans ( n = 585) exhibited higher rates of being arrested in adulthood than White Americans ( n = 977). These findings held even when controlling for environmental (e.g., socioeconomic status) and individual (e.g., substance-use history) factors associated with arrests. This suggests that the risk conferred by more severe psychopathology on arrests is stronger for Black Americans than White Americans. Our results highlight how structural racism affects both psychopathology and the carceral system to contribute to the overrepresentation of Black Americans within the criminal justice system.

Maternal and paternal emotion dysregulation profiles: Links to parent and child functioning

This study examined profiles of parental emotion dysregulation among 379 mothers (Mage = 35.99) and 397 fathers (Mage = 34.93) of children aged 8 to 12 using latent profile analyses. Three maternal (Low, Moderate, High Dysregulation) and four paternal (Low, Moderate, High Dysregulation, Emotionally Aware but Extremely Dysregulated) profiles emerged. Low (vs. high) profiles were generally associated with more supportive parental emotion socialization practices, better child emotion regulation, and lower child psychopathology. The Emotionally Aware but Extremely Dysregulated paternal profile was distinct in composition. It was associated with the poorest child psychopathology, but not the poorest child emotion regulation, of all paternal profiles, and with the highest engagement in all socialization practices (e.g., supportive practices). Findings suggest that unique patterns of deficits in parental emotion regulation may play a role in socialization of positive emotion and child functioning, particularly for fathers. These profiles can inform specific emotion-related targets for parent intervention.

Predicting Completion of Ecological Momentary Assessments Among Substance-Using Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence.

Noncompletion of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys is a common issue and may yield bias in results if not properly handled. Using data observed at scheduled times as well as data retrieved later to fill missing responses, this study aims to investigate predictors of EMA completion, including demographic characteristics, time-related factors, and momentary experiences/behaviors. Data were from a 30-day EMA study including 145 women currently experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and using substances. The average rate of EMA completion was initially 51.4% at the scheduled times and increased to 72.6% after incorporating data from later-retrieved surveys. Participants who were younger, had more children, or had lower mean levels of negative affect dysregulation showed lower completion rates. At the momentary survey level, more days into the study and afternoon/evening reports (vs. morning reports) were associated with lower completion; lower levels of negative affect dysregulation, less smoking or alcohol use, and experiencing IPV were linked to lower momentary completion. Implications of the results for handling missing data in EMA are discussed and have important ramifications for future research, practice, and theory.