Dysfunctional Emotion Regulation Research Articles

Are vaccination uptake and non-uptake influenced by our emotions? An experimental study on the role of emotional processes and compassion

Objective This study examined the effects of emotional arousal, emotional competence, emotion regulation (ER), and compassion on COVID-19 and flu vaccination intentions (VI) among the French population. Design Data were collected online from October to December 2020. Altogether, 451 participants (Mage = 35.8, SD = 16.4) were allocated to four groups. High positive (n = 104) or negative (n = 103) emotional arousal were induced into two groups using pictures and music, and compared against a control group (flu group; n = 116) and a reference group (COVID-19 group; n = 114). All groups completed questionnaires on emotional arousal, ER, emotional competence, compassion, and VI. Results The findings indicated a significant effect of group on VI, h2 =.023, 95% CI [–.002, .09]. The Group*Gender interaction on emotional arousal was non-significant, η p 2 =.015, 95%CI [.000, .041]. However, emotional arousal was observed to have a significant main effect on VI, η p 2 =.09, 95% CI [.043, .238]. The ER type*Emotional arousal*Gender interaction on ER use was trend, η p 2 = .002, 95% CI [.000, .005]. The emotional competence*ER type interaction on ER use was significant, η p 2 = .028, 95% CI [.011, .049]. Only experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between emotional arousal and VI, p < .018, 95% CI [.015, .18]. Conclusion Emotional arousal impacts VI. High emotional competence only reduces the use of dysfunctional ER strategies.

“Are darker individuals in control?”: A path model of the Dark Triad, Emotional Regulation and Locus of Control

Among the socially aversive personality traits, the Dark Triad (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) is one of the most prominent. It is known that there is an association between these traits and emotional regulation and control strategies. However, further empirical support is needed to understand how these traits simultaneously influence each other. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Dark Triad, emotion dysregulation strategies, and locus of control using a predictive model. The participants consisted of 305 individuals aged 18 to 59 years (M = 32.5; SD = 12.05) who responded to the Dirty Dozen (DD), the Emotional Dysregulation Scale (EDEA), the Locus of Control Scale (ELOCUS), and the Baptist Depression Scale (EBADEP). Our results suggest positive associations of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism with maladaptive emotional dysregulation strategies, and these strategies predicted external locus of control. Therefore, individuals with darker traits tend to employ dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies and consequently attribute external events as the cause of such outcomes.

Emotional Dysregulation and Temperament-Character Traits in Adolescents With Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (Conversion Disorder).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate emotion dysregulation and temperament-character traits in adolescents with functional neurological symptom disorder (FNSD). Forty adolescents with FNSD and 40 healthy adolescents were evaluated by a semiconstructed diagnosis interview, Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Regulation of Emotions Questionnaire (REQ), and Children's Somatization Inventory-24 (CSI-24). The external and internal dysfunctional emotion regulation scores of REQ, all subscales of DERS, except the awareness subscale, and CSI-24 scores were significantly higher in FNSD patients compared with healthy controls. There were significant differences between the groups in terms of harm avoidance and reward dependence subscale scores of TCI. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the external dysfunctional emotion regulation strategy, somatization, and reward dependence are significant predictors of FNSD. Our results provide evidence that adolescents with FNSD experience emotional dysregulation and that the differential value of some temperament-character traits in the diagnosis of FNSD.

Noradrenergic control of neurobehavior in human binge-eating disorder and obesity (NOBEAD): A smartphone-supported behavioral emotion regulation intervention study protocol integrating molecular brain imaging.

The neurobehavioral underpinnings of binge-eating disorder (BED), co-occurring with obesity (OB), are largely unknown. This research project conceptualizes BED as a disorder with dysfunctional emotion regulation (ER) linked with changes in central noradrenaline (NA) transmission and NA-modulated neuronal networks. We expect abnormalities in NA activity in both BED and OB, but most pronounced in BED. We expect these abnormalities to be modifiable through state-of-the-art ER intervention, specifically in BED. To assess the role of NA transmission, we will quantify changes in NA transporter (NAT) availability using the highly NAT-specific [11 C]methylreboxetin (MRB) and positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MRI) that allows measuring molecular and neuronal changes before and after an ER intervention. Individual 12-session smartphone-supported acceptance-based behavioral therapy will be conducted to improve ER. Thirty individuals with OB and BED (OB + BED), 30 individuals with OB without BED (OB - BED), and 20 individuals with normal weight will undergo assessments of NAT availability and neuronal network activity under rest and stimulated conditions, clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires on eating behavior, ER, mental and physical health, and quality of life, and neuropsychological tests on executive function. Afterwards, in an experimental randomized-controlled design, individuals with OB + BED and OB - BED will be allocated to smartphone-supported ER intervention versus a waitlist and re-assessed after 10 weeks. By obtaining biological and behavioral markers, the proposed study will disentangle the involvement of NAT and the central NA system in the modulation of emotion-supporting neuronal networks that influence eating behavior. Neurobehavioral mechanisms of change during an ER intervention will be determined. German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00029367. This study investigates the central noradrenaline system by using hybrid brain imaging in conjunction with emotion regulation as a putative core biological mechanism in individuals with obesity with or without binge-eating disorder that is targeted by emotion regulation intervention. The results will provide a molecular signature beyond functional imaging biomarkers as a predictive biomarker toward precision medicine for tailoring treatments for individuals with binge-eating disorders and obesity.

Bullying perpetration: the role of attachment, emotion regulation and empathy

ABSTRACT Empathy and emotion regulation are potential individual factors and attachment is a potential contextual factor influencing bullying perpetration. The joint consideration of these factors in an integrative model has so far been absent from current research. The aim of the current study is to contribute to this research gap. Specifically, we examined the direct and indirect effects of attachment, empathy/perspective taking, functional and dysfunctional emotion regulation on bullying perpetration. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study with N = 201 students (55.7% female) between 10 and 15 years (M = 12.86; SD = 1.29). In the structural equation model significant direct effects from attachment on bullying perpetration, empathy/perspective taking and on functional and dysfunctional emotion regulation were found. Additionally, direct effects from dysfunctional emotion regulation on bullying perpetration were identified. Dysfunctional emotion regulation mediates the effect from attachment on bullying perpetration. Gender and age were controlled. The results highlight the need to promote empathy/perspective taking and reduce the use of dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies. Possible implications for the school are discussed.

Emotion regulation during encoding reduces negative and enhances neutral mnemonic discrimination in individuals with depressive symptoms

Individuals with depression exhibit dysfunctional emotion regulation, general episodic memory deficits, and a negativity bias, where negative experiences are better remembered. Recent work suggests that the negativity bias in depression may be driven by enhanced mnemonic discrimination, a memory measure that relies on hippocampal pattern separation – a computation that processes experiences with overlapping features as unique. Previously, we found that individuals with depressive symptoms show enhanced negative and impaired neutral mnemonic discrimination. The current study aimed to investigate emotion regulation as an approach toward modifying memory encoding of negative and neutral events in individuals with depressive symptoms. Here we show that applying psychological distancing (a cognitive reappraisal strategy characterized by taking a third-person perspective toward negative events) during encoding was associated with reduced negative and enhanced neutral mnemonic discrimination during retrieval in individuals with depressive symptoms. These results suggest that applying emotion regulation techniques during encoding may provide an effective approach toward altering dysfunctional memory in those with depressive symptoms. Given that pharmacological treatments often fail to treat depression, emotion regulation provides a powerful and practical approach toward modifying cognitive and emotional processes. Future neuroimaging studies will be important to determine how emotion regulation impacts the neural mechanisms underlying these findings.

Effect of Personality Traits and Emotion Regulation Strategies on Risky Behaviors in Adolescents.

The current study investigated the effects of personality traits and emotion regulation strategies on high-risk behaviors among adolescents (N = 1,572). This study used a cross-sectional and correlational research design. Multiple linear regression was used for analysis. A 1-unit increase in extraversion and neuroticism led to a 0.391- and 0.365-unit increase in high-risk behaviors, respectively. However, a 1-unit increase in agreeableness and conscientiousness led to a 0.307- and 0.365-unit decrease in high-risk behaviors, respectively (p < 0.05). A 1-unit increase in external and internal dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies led to a 1.34- and 0.548-unit increase in high-risk behaviors, respectively. However, a 1-unit increase in internal functional emotion regulation strategies led to a 0.641-unit decrease in high-risk behaviors (p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that age, school type, sex, grade level, father's educational level, father's child-rearing style, and school performance were associated with more high-risk behaviors (p < 0.05). There were correlations between some personality traits, emotion regulation strategies, sociodemographic characteristics, and high-risk behaviors. Early intervention programs targeting dysfunctional personality traits and emotion regulation skills in adolescence may prevent the development of risky behaviors in adulthood. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 62(2), 23-36.].

Understanding the Complexities of Adolescent Bullying: The Interplay between Peer Relationships, Emotion Regulation, and Victimization

Bullying is a major social problem that is receiving increased attention in society and research. The overarching goal of the current study was to identify risk and protective factors of bullying examining direct effects between peer relationship, emotion regulation, and bullying involvement. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted with N = 201 students (55.7% female) between the ages of 10 and 15 ( M = 12.86 ; SD = 1.29 ). Path model analysis revealed that trust had a negative effect on victimization, dysfunctional emotion regulation had a positive effect on perpetration and victimization, alienation had a positive effect on dysfunctional emotion regulation, and victimization and communication had a positive effect on functional emotion regulation. Additionally, dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies mediate the path from alienation to bullying and to victimization. Study results underline the importance of considering the bullying dynamic from a combined perspective of intra- and interindividual factors. The results partially confirmed the hypotheses and contribute to our knowledge about individual and contextual correlates of bullying in adolescents. The present findings suggest that group facilitation with the entire class in team building could be a useful intervention to strengthen peer relationships as well as the relationships between classmates and teachers and students.

The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship between Self-Compassion and Subjective Well-Being in School in Secondary School Students

This study focuses on the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between self-compassion and subjective well-being in school in secondary school students. The Brief Adolescents’ Subjective Well-Being in School Scale, Self-Compassion Scale for Adolescents and Emotion Regulation Scale for Adolescents were administered to a sample of 415 adolescents (48.9% females and 51.1% ma-les). The data was analysed with correlation analysis and regression-based mediation analysis to inves-tigate the relationship between emotion regulation, self-compassion and subjective well-being in school. Furthermore, a bootstrap method was used to examine the direct and indirect effects in the mediation model. The findings showed that internal functional and external dysfunctional emotion regulation, which are sub-dimensions of emotion regulation, have a mediating effect on the relationship between self-compassion and subjective well-being at school. The results obtained are discussed in the context of the relevant literature.

Stress and reward in the maternal brain of mothers with borderline personality disorder: a script-based fMRI study

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with altered neural activity in regions of salience and emotion regulation. An exaggerated sensitization to emotionally salient situations, increased experience of emotions, and dysfunctional regulative abilities could be reasons for increased distress also during parenting. Mothers with BPD tend to have less reciprocal mother–child interactions (MCI) and reveal altered cortisol and oxytocin reactivity in the interaction with their child, which could indicate altered processing of stress and reward. Here, we studied underlying neural mechanisms of disrupted MCI in BPD. Twenty-five mothers with BPD and 28 healthy mothers participated in a script-driven imagery functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-paradigm. Scripts described stressful or rewarding MCI with the own child, or situations in which the mother was alone. Mothers with BPD showed larger activities in the bilateral insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) compared to healthy mothers during the imagination of MCI and non-MCI. Already in the precursory phase while listening to the scripts, a similar pattern emerged with stronger activity in the left anterior insula (AINS), but not in the ACC. This AINS activity correlated negatively with the quality of real-life MCI for mothers with BPD. Mothers with BPD reported lower affect and higher arousal. An exaggerated sensitization to different, emotionally salient situations together with dysfunctional emotion regulation abilities, as reflected by increased insula and ACC activity, might hinder sensitive maternal behavior in mothers with BPD. These results underline the importance for psychotherapeutic interventions to improve emotional hyperarousal and emotion regulation in patients with BPD, especially in affected mothers caring for young children.

Latent growth curve analyses of emotional awareness and emotion regulation in early and middle adolescence

The importance of emotional awareness (EA) and emotion regulation (ER) for children’s and adolescents’ development has been suggested in numerous studies, but longitudinal trajectories of these aspects of emotional competence have rarely been examined. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate developmental trends of EA and ER in early and middle adolescence over a 1-year period. Longitudinal increases of different aspects of EA (emotion differentiation, bodily unawareness, attention to others’, and analyses of own emotions) and dysfunctional ER, and decreases of functional ER were expected. Furthermore, it was explored whether these trajectories as well as their initial levels were associated with gender and age. Three-wave longitudinal self-report data of N = 1,225 German adolescents (aged 10–15 years at initial assessment, 54% female) who had completed the Emotion Awareness Questionnaire and the Regulation of Emotions Questionnaire were analyzed. After establishing at least partial scalar measurement invariance for the longitudinal models, the second-order Latent Growth Curve Models (LGCMs) were computed. Regarding EA, increases of emotion differentiation and bodily unawareness, as well as adolescents’ attention to others’ emotions, but also a decrease of their willingness to analyze own emotions were found. For ER, results suggested stability of dysfunctional and decreases of functional strategies. Conditional LGCMs (including gender, age, and the interaction between both) indicated that the increase of emotion differentiation and the decrease in the use of selected functional ER strategies were more pronounced for younger participants. Gender differences were found only for baseline but not for developmental trends, and no significant interaction with age was found. Overall, this study illustrates the developmental trajectories of EA and ER over the course of 1 year and emphasizes that adolescents have difficulties in applying functional ER strategies with increasing age, despite improvements in EA.

The effect of Self-Regulation Based Cognitive Psychoeducation Program on emotion regulation and self-efficacy in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

AimThis study aimed to determine the effect of Self-Regulation Based Cognitive Psychoeducation Program on emotion regulation and self-efficacy in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and receiving medication. MethodThe sample of this study with control group and pre-test, post-test and follow-up randomized experimental design consisted of children followed in the child and adolescent mental health outpatient clinic of a state hospital. The data were evaluated by parametric and non-parametric analyses. ResultsA statistically significant increase was determined in the internal functional emotion regulation mean scores of children, who participated in the Self-Regulation Based Cognitive Psychoeducation Program, measured before, immediately after, and 6 months after the intervention (p < 0.05). A statistically significant increase was also found in their external functional emotion regulation mean scores measured before and 6 months after the intervention (p < 0.05). In addition, a statistically significant difference was found between their internal dysfunctional and external dysfunctional emotion regulation mean scores measured before and 6 months after the intervention; however the mean scores of those in the control group 6 months after the intervention were higher than those in the intervention group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant increase in their self-efficacy mean scores measured before and 6 months after the intervention (p < 0.05). ConclusionThe Self-Regulation Based Cognitive Psychoeducation Program was found be effective in increasing the levels of emotion regulation and self-efficacy in children with ADHD.

Emotional Dysfunction and Interoceptive Challenges in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently show impaired sensory processing in different senses, including the interoceptive system. Recent findings suggest that interoception is a fundamental component of emotional experience and that impaired interoception is associated with alexithymia. This study aims to explore the association and interrelation between interoceptive confusion, alexithymia, and the capacity for emotional regulation among a sample of 33 adults with ASD compared to a control group of 35 adults with neurotypical development and its mutual impact. The participants answered a series of questionnaires addressing these three variables. The results showed (1) significant differences between the groups in all dimensions, with dysfunctional emotional regulation, impaired interoception, and alexithymia in the ASD group, (2) significant correlations between interoceptive confusion, emotional clarity, and alexithymia in the ASD group but only positive correlations between interoceptive confusion and alexithymia in the CG, and (3) that emotional clarity, alexithymia, and autism explain 61% of the variance in interoceptive confusion. These results are in line with previous studies and suggest that training interoceptive ability may enhance emotional clarity and reduce alexithymia among those diagnosed with ASD, with significant implications in the planning of treatment.

Factors Associated With Reasons for Living Among Suicidal Adolescents

Objective The objective of this study was to identify baseline demographic and clinical factors associated with higher scores on the Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A) at baseline and over follow-up. Method Using data from a pilot clinical trial of a brief intervention for suicidal youth transitioning from inpatient to outpatient, we identified univariate associations of baseline characteristics with RFL-A and used regression to identify the most parsimonious subset of these variables. Finally, we examined to what extent changes in these characteristics over time were related to changes in RFL-A. Results Univariate analyses found that better external functional emotion regulation and social support were associated with higher RFL-A scores; more self-reported depression, internal dysfunctional emotion regulation, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and distress tolerance were associated with lower RFL-A scores. Multiple linear regression identified internal dysfunctional emotion regulation and external functional emotion regulation as the most parsimonious set of characteristics associated with RFL-A. Improvement in internal emotion regulation, sleep, and depression were related to improvements in RFL-A over time. Conclusion Our findings indicate that emotion regulation—specifically maladaptive internal strategies and use of external resources—is strongly associated with RFL-A. Improvements in internal emotion regulation (r = 0.57), sleep (r = −0.45), and depression (r = −0.34) were related to increases in RFL-A. HIGHLIGHTS In the literature, greater reasons for living are associated with lower risk for future suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. The most salient correlate of concurrent and future lower RFL-A was dysfunctional internal emotion regulation. Improved sleep and decreases in depression were correlated with increases in RFL-A.

Investigating emotional regulation, aggression and self-esteem in sexually abused adolescents

Objectives: Child sexual abuse is a global problem with an increased risk of developing psychopathology. In recent studies, it was studied that children and adolescents who experienced sexual abuse have emotion regulation difficulties. We aimed to investigate some features of sexually abused adolescents by studying emotion regulation, aggression, and self-esteem. Methods: One hundred four adolescents seeking treatment after sexual abuse to Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital Child Monitoring Center and 91 control group were included. Participants were given to complete the personal information form, the adolescent emotion regulation scale, the reactive-proactive aggression scale, and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale.Results: It was determined that adolescents who were sexually abused used more internal dysfunctional and external dysfunctional emotion regulation while the control group used more external functional emotion regulation. While there was no difference between both groups regarding aggression, self-esteem was found to be lower in abused adolescents. Self-injurious behavior was higher in adolescents victims of sexual abuse. Aggression was found to increase as dysfunctional emotion regulation increased. Conclusions: It was found that sexually abused adolescents had more difficulty in regulating their emotions and exhibited more self-injurious thoughts and behaviors but there was no difference between them and the control group in terms of aggression. We found that dysfunctional emotion regulation increased aggression in the study group.

Altered parasympathetic activity during sleep and emotionally arousing wakefulness in frequent nightmare recallers

Nightmare disorder is characterized by dysfunctional emotion regulation and poor subjective sleep quality reflected in pathophysiological features such as abnormal arousal processes and sympathetic influences. Dysfunctional parasympathetic regulation, especially before and during rapid eye movement (REM) phases, is assumed to alter heart rate (HR) and its variability (HRV) of frequent nightmare recallers (NM). We hypothesized that cardiac variability is attenuated in NMs as opposed to healthy controls (CTL) during sleep, pre-sleep wakefulness and under an emotion-evoking picture-rating task. Based on the polysomnographic recordings of 24 NM and 30 CTL participants, we examined HRV during pre-REM, REM, post-REM and slow wave sleep, separately. Additionally, electrocardiographic recordings of resting state before sleep onset and under an emotionally challenging picture-rating task were also analyzed. Applying repeated measures analysis of variance (rmANOVA), a significant difference was found in the HR of NMs and CTLs during nocturnal segments but not during resting wakefulness, suggesting autonomic dysregulation, specifically during sleep in NMs. As opposed to the HR, the HRV values were not significantly different in the rmANOVA in the two groups, implying that the extent of parasympathetic dysregulation on a trait level might depend on the severeness of dysphoric dreaming. Nonetheless, in the group comparisons, the NM group showed increased HR and reduced HRV during the emotion-evoking picture-rating task, which aimed to model the nightmare experience in the daytime, indicating disrupted emotion regulation in NMs under acute distress. In conclusion, trait-like autonomic changes during sleep and state-like autonomic responses to emotion-evoking pictures indicate parasympathetic dysregulation in NMs.

A Preliminary Study of the Interactive Effect of Avoidant Personality Disorder Symptoms and Expressive Suppression on the Outcome of a Psychodynamically Oriented Day Treatment Program.

Introduction: Patients with avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) pathology tend to have poor prognosis in psychotherapy, yet there has been little research conducted to better understand why their outcomes are limited, making it difficult to improve treatments for them. Expressive suppression is a dysfunctional emotion regulation strategy that may exacerbate avoidant tendencies, further complicating the therapeutic process. Methods: Using data from a naturalistic study (N = 34) of a group-based day treatment program, we examined whether there was an interactive effect of AvPD symptoms and expressive suppression on treatment outcome. Results: Findings revealed a significant moderating effect of expressive suppression on the association between AvPD symptoms and treatment outcome. The outcome for patients with more severe AvPD symptoms was particularly poor when they engaged in high levels of expressive suppression. Discussion: The findings suggest that the combination of significant AvPD pathology and high expressive suppression is associated with poorer responsiveness to treatment.

Anger profiles among individuals seeking treatment for maladaptive anger: Associations with emotion regulation.

Individuals who experience problems with anger represent a heterogeneous group. Identifying clinically relevant subtypes of anger may advance treatment research. In the current study, latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to explore if distinct subtypes of anger could be identified within a sample of individuals seeking treatment for maladaptive anger (N = 538; 55.4% females; mean age = 39.78, SD = 12.28). Furthermore, the utility of the empirical classification was examined based on differences in usage of emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, mindful emotion awareness and relaxation) across subtypes. Four anger profiles were identified in the best-fitted LPA model: Low Anger (n = 153, 28.4%), Anger In (n = 91, 16.9%), Moderate Anger (n = 193, 35.9%) and High Anger (n = 101, 35.5%). Results from the multinominal regression revealed that the use of emotion regulation differed across all profiles. Participants from the High Anger and Anger In profiles exhibited distinct patterns of dysfunctional emotion regulation. The results add to the increasing amount of evidence demonstrating a link between emotion regulation strategies and maladaptive anger. Clinical implications on how to tailor treatments for individuals with maladaptive anger are discussed.

The Role of Personality Traits, Personality Functioning, Traumatic Life Events, and Emotion-Regulation Difficulties in Predicting Polysubstance Use

Objective: Polysubstance use as a severity index in individuals with substance abuse disorder is associated with various psychological, social, cultural, and genetic factors. This research aims to examine the predictive role of personality traits, personality functions, traumatic life events, and emotion-regulation difficulties in polysubstance use and the severity of dependence. Methods: A total of 300 subjects (75.2% male) with the mean age of 40.07 years and standard deviation of 12.26 were chosen via the available sampling method. The subjects included individuals abusing one substance (30.6%), a group abusing multiple substances (37.5%), and a nonclinical group (31.7%). The participants completed the questionnaires of short-form personality inventory based on The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, levels of personality functioning scale, dysfunctional emotion regulation scale, and life events checklist. Results: The results of ranked regression and structural equation modeling indicated that the variables of personality traits (2.69), emotional regulation strategies (2.04), personality functioning (1.17), and stressful factors (1.65) had a significant role in predicting drug abuse. Conclusion: Personality affects all life dimensions. Emotion regulation strategies, by affecting maladaptive traits, especially negative affectivity and antagonism, as well as personality functions can predispose the person to polysubstance use.

Emotion Regulation in Patients With a Depressive Episode

The aim of the present study is to examine whether the emotion regulation of patients and "healthy" people differs. The BDI-II, the FEEL-E, the SCL-90®-S and the EFK were used to test for group differences, the influence of gender, age and depression as well as the prediction of depression. As expected, patients (N=85) showed higher levels of depression and higher psychological stress than the comparison group (N=67), regardless of age and gender, although they rather tended to use maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. High levels of depression were associated with maladaptive emotion regulation and can be predicted by specific strategies. Thus, in contrast to “healthy” people, those suffering from depression exhibit a dysfunctional emotion regulation.