Emotion Dysregulation In Adolescents Research Articles

0126 Adverse Life Events and Emotion Dysregulation in Adolescents: Sleep Disturbances as a Potential Moderator

0126 Adverse Life Events and Emotion Dysregulation in Adolescents: Sleep Disturbances as a Potential Moderator

Dynamic characteristics of parent-adolescent closeness: Predicting adolescent emotion dysregulation.

Emotion dysregulation is linked to adolescent psychological problems. However, little is known about how lability in daily closeness of parent-adolescent dyads affects the development of emotion dysregulation. This study examined how closeness lability with parents was associated with emotion dysregulation 12 months later. The sample included 144 adolescents (M = 14.62, SD = 0.83) who participated in a baseline assessment, 21-day daily diaries, and a 12-month follow-up assessment. Parents and adolescents both reported adolescent emotion dysregulation at baseline and follow-up assessments, while adolescents reported daily parent-adolescent closeness. Results indicate that lability in father-adolescent closeness was associated with increased emotion dysregulation at 12 months reported by adolescents. However, lability in mother-adolescent closeness was not associated with adolescent emotion dysregulation. Moreover, when baseline father-adolescent closeness was high, greater lability in father-adolescent closeness was associated with decreased emotion dysregulation. Findings indicate that daily fluctuations in father-adolescent closeness are a key family characteristic that links to long-term adolescent emotion dysregulation.

Neural correlates of automatic emotion regulation and their association with suicidal ideation in adolescents during the first 90-days of residential care

Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States. However, relatively little is known about the forms of atypical neuro-cognitive function that are correlates of suicidal ideation (SI). One form of cognitive/affective function that, when dysfunctional, is associated with SI is emotion regulation. However, very little work has investigated the neural correlates of emotion dysregulation in adolescents with SI. Methods: Participants (N = 111 aged 12-18, 32 females, 31 [27.9%] reporting SI) were recruited shortly after their arrival at a residential care facility where they had been referred for behavioral and mental health problems. Daily reports of SI were collected during the participants’ first 90-days in residential care. Participants were presented with a task-fMRI measure of emotion regulation – the Affective Number Stroop task shortly after recruitment. Participants were divided into two groups matched for age, sex and IQ based on whether they demonstrated SI. Results: Participants who demonstrated SI showed increased recruitment of regions including dorsomedial prefrontal cortex/supplemental motor area and parietal cortex during task (congruent and incongruent) relative to view trials in the context of emotional relative to neutral distracters. Conclusions: Participants with SI showed increased recruitment of regions implicated in executive control during the performance of a task indexing automatic emotion regulation. Such data might suggest a relative inefficiency in the recruitment of these regions in individuals with SI.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder: Emotion Dysregulation, Abuse, and Treatment Outcomes

ABSTRACT Objective Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by extreme emotional dysregulation. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an empirically supported and effective treatment for BPD in adolescents and adults. However, the extent to which exposure to childhood abuse (i.e. physical and sexual abuse) impacts treatment outcomes is not well understood. This open trial investigated the effectiveness of an intensive residential DBT program in reducing emotion dysregulation in adolescents with BPD symptoms, as well as the impact that severity and type of childhood abuse had on treatment outcomes. Method Participants (N = 46) were female-identifying adolescents 13–20 years of age enrolled in an intensive residential DBT treatment program. Severity of abuse exposure and abuse subtype (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Short Form, CTQ-SF) and difficulties with emotional dysregulation (DERS) were assessed at admission and DERS again after 1 month of treatment. Results Bivariate correlation between DERS Total Score and Abuse Exposure Total Score indicated that severity of abuse exposure had a medium positive association with emotion dysregulation at admission. Mixed model ANOVA results showed significant reductions in emotional dysregulation following 1 month of treatment, with a large effect size. Exploratory analysis testing exposure to different subtypes of childhood abuse as a moderator of treatment effects was non-significant. Conclusions Emotion dysregulation showed significant reductions following intensive residential DBT interventions. Reductions were consistent across subtypes of abuse exposure. Implications for the treatment of adolescents with abuse histories and current BPD-related problems, and the relationship between child abuse exposure and emotional dysregulation overall, are discussed.

Longitudinal Associations Between Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Depressive Symptoms, Hopelessness, and Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents has been associated with increased depressive symptomatology, hopelessness, and emotional dysregulation; however, few studies have examined longitudinal associations between NSSI and these problems. This study examines the longitudinal relationships among these variables in community adolescents and whether the pattern of relationships varies between boys and girls. The participants were 785 adolescents (57.1% girls) aged 13 to 18 years (M = 15.64; SD = 1.08) who completed self-reported measures of NSSI, depression, hopelessness, and emotional dysregulation at least once at two moments separated by 1 year. The longitudinal model was tested through structural equation modeling and multiple group analysis. NSSI predicted increased depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and emotional dysregulation; depressive symptoms predicted NSSI; hopelessness predicted depressive symptoms; and emotional dysregulation predicted depressive symptoms and hopelessness. The pattern was similar for girls and boys, although girls scored higher on all variables. The results underscore the important bidirectional associations between NSSI and other risk factors throughout adolescence. These findings will support prevention and interventions for NSSI and internalizing symptoms in adolescents in school and clinical settings.

Differential associations and concordance across measures of parent emotion socialization: The role of parent and adolescent emotion dysregulation

AbstractAlthough parent ratings, adolescent ratings, and observations are all utilized to measure parent emotion socialization during adolescence, there is a lack of research examining measurement differences and concordance. Thus, the present study compared three measures of parent supportive and nonsupportive emotion socialization and examined whether parent and adolescent emotion dysregulation differentially related to these measures or moderated concordance across measures. Participants were a community sample of 92 adolescent‐parent dyads. Adolescents were 13–17 years‐old (M = 15.5, SD = 1.1), 41 were female and 51 were male; 87% of parents identified as mothers. Observed emotion socialization was coded during a parent‐adolescent conflict discussion task. The adolescent and parent also rated the parent's supportive and nonsupportive reactions to the adolescent's negative emotions; they each also rated their own emotion dysregulation. Due to data collection timing, COVID‐19 family stress was also assessed and explored as a covariate in analyses. Bivariate correlations indicated that there were weak and non‐significant correlations across emotion socialization measures. Multilevel models indicated that measures of parent emotion socialization were differentially associated with adolescent emotion dysregulation, with adolescent emotion dysregulation relating significantly to adolescent ratings, but not observations or parent ratings, of parent emotion socialization. In addition, multiple regressions indicated that there was less concordance across measures when parents were higher in emotion dysregulation. Results suggest that measurement may influence researchers’ conclusions about how youth adjustment relates to parent emotion socialization. Additionally, there may be even lower agreement across measures of parent emotion socialization when parents have emotional challenges.

Emotional Regulation and Adolescent Concussion: Overview and Role of Neuroimaging.

Emotional dysregulation symptoms following a concussion are associated with an increased risk for emotional dysregulation disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety), especially in adolescents. However, predicting the emergence or worsening of emotional dysregulation symptoms after concussion and the extent to which this predates the onset of subsequent psychiatric morbidity after injury remains challenging. Although advanced neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, have been used to detect and monitor concussion-related brain abnormalities in research settings, their clinical utility remains limited. In this narrative review, we have performed a comprehensive search of the available literature regarding emotional regulation, adolescent concussion, and advanced neuroimaging techniques in electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar). We highlight clinical evidence showing the heightened susceptibility of adolescents to experiencing emotional dysregulation symptoms following a concussion. Furthermore, we describe and provide empirical support for widely used magnetic resonance imaging modalities (i.e., functional and diffusion imaging), which are utilized to detect abnormalities in circuits responsible for emotional regulation. Additionally, we assess how these abnormalities relate to the emotional dysregulation symptoms often reported by adolescents post-injury. Yet, it remains to be determined if a progression of concussion-related abnormalities exists, especially in brain regions that undergo significant developmental changes during adolescence. We conclude that neuroimaging techniques hold potential as clinically useful tools for predicting and, ultimately, monitoring the treatment response to emotional dysregulation in adolescents following a concussion.

Daily association between parent-adolescent relationship and life satisfaction: The moderating role of emotion dysregulation.

In adolescence, life satisfaction is an early indicator of later psychological well-being. However, researchers know little about how daily family relationships shape adolescent life satisfaction. The current study examined the day-to-day associations between parent-adolescent relationships and life satisfaction, and whether adolescent emotion dysregulation moderated these associations. A total of 191 adolescents (Mage = 12.93, SDage = 0.75, 53% female) recruited from junior high schools in Taiwan participated in a 10-day daily diary protocol. We conducted multilevel analyses to examine within-family and between-family processes. At the within-family level, adolescents reported higher life satisfaction on days when parent-adolescent closeness was higher, but lower life satisfaction on days when parent-adolescent conflict was higher. At the between-family level, higher parent-adolescent closeness was associated with greater life satisfaction on average, while parent-adolescent conflict was not related to adolescent life satisfaction. Cross-level interactions indicated that within-family changes in parent-adolescent closeness and conflict were only associated with life satisfaction for adolescents with higher levels of emotion dysregulation, indicating emotion dysregulation may intensify the role of daily parent-adolescent relationships in shaping adolescent life satisfaction. This study expands current literature and provides novel evidence that changes in day-to-day parent-adolescent relationships have important implications for adolescent life satisfaction, especially for youth higher in emotion dysregulation. The findings underscore the importance of evaluating family and individual characteristics to better support adolescent well-being.

A longitudinal examination of alcohol use and emotion dysregulation in adolescence.

Underage drinking is a serious public health concern with magnified physical and psychological risks. Previous research suggests that emotion dysregulation is one factor linked to alcohol use. Limited research has examined emotion dysregulation and alcohol use in adolescent populations, thus the present study aimed to examine the links by assessing the role of emotion dysregulation and its subscales in adolescent alcohol use over time. Participants were 695 high school students, with 309 students having completed Time 2 data collection at a 6-month follow-up. Participants completed measures that assessed Alcohol Use, Emotion Dysregulation, and Emotion Dysregulation subscales. In a negative binomial hurdle model, adolescents with greater emotion regulation difficulties at baseline had significantly greater odds of endorsing any alcohol use at baseline. Greater emotion dysregulation did not significantly predict drinking status or drinking level 6 months later when controlling for baseline alcohol use. Adolescents who reported greater emotional clarity difficulties at baseline were more likely to report any alcohol use at baseline. Among adolescents who drink, reporting greater difficulties accessing emotion regulation strategies was associated with greater alcohol use at baseline and 6 months later. These findings indicate that emotion dysregulation is a cross-sectional marker of alcohol use in adolescents; however, results did not show emotion dysregulation to be a prospective predictor of greater alcohol use. Future research is needed to replicate findings in a more diverse sample of adolescents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Frequency and types of emotional dysregulation in referrals to child and adolescent mental health services.

Emotional dysregulation (ED) is a transdiagnostic phenomenon that has received increased attention, because of its potential ability to explain the development and maintenance of various psychiatric disorders. The identification of ED may serve as a potential target for both preventive and treatment interventions, however, the frequency of transdiagnostic ED among children and adolescents has not previously been evaluated. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency and types of ED in accepted and rejected referrals to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center (CAMHC), Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark, regardless of psychiatric status and across diagnoses. We aimed to evaluate how often ED would be a leading cause in seeking professional help, and whether children with ED not directly reflecting symptoms of known psychopathology would have higher rejection rates than children with more distinct symptoms of psychopathology. Finally, we assessed associations between sex and age with various types of ED. We examined ED in a retrospective chart review of referrals of children and adolescents aged 3-17 years to the CAMHC between August 1st, 2020, and August 1st, 2021. We ranked problems described in the referral as primary, secondary, and tertiary depending on severity. Further, we examined group differences in the frequency of ED in accepted versus rejected referrals, as well as group differences in types of ED in age and sex distributions, and diagnoses occurring with specific types of ED. ED was present in 62.3% of the 999 referrals and was assessed as the primary issue in twice as many rejected referrals (11.4%) compared to accepted referrals (5.7%). Boys were significantly more often described with externalizing and internalizing behavior (55.5% vs. 31.6%; 35.1% vs. 26.5%) as well as incongruent affect (10.0% vs. 4.7%), whereas girls were more often described with depressed mood (47.5% vs. 38.0%) and self-harm (23.8% vs. 9.4%). The frequency of different types of ED varied with age. The present study is the first to evaluate the frequency of ED in children and adolescents referred to mental health services. The study offers insights into the high frequency of ED and the associations between ED and subsequent diagnoses, which may prove to be a method of early identification of risk of psychopathology. Our findings suggest that ED may rightly be considered a transdiagnostic factor, independent of specific psychiatric disorders, and that an ED-centered as opposed to diagnosis-specific approach to assessment, prevention, and treatment could target transversal symptoms of psychopathology in a more holistic manner.

Externalising Behaviours, Impulsivity, Alexithymia, and Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents' Suicidality.

suicide represents the second leading cause of death among adolescents (WHO, 2021). A deeper understanding of the characteristics that lead to it is crucial to increase the ability of clinicians in evaluating, treating, and preventing it. The objective of this study is to analyze the differences in impulsivity, externalizing behaviors, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia between two groups of adolescents, the first presenting suicidal ideation (SI), the second presenting at least one suicide attempt (SA), in an ideation-to-action framework. we conducted a retrospective study with 190 adolescents (M= 14.5, SD age = 1.63; SI: n = 97, SA: n = 93). All were hospitalized in the Complex Operative Child Neuropsychiatry Hospital Unit (UOC-NPI) of the Hospital-University of Padua. Data were collected using the Youth Self-Report (YSR 11-18), Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) questionnaires. the SA group obtained higher clinical scores in the YSR "rule-breaking behavior" and "conduct problems" scales, and in total TAS-20. the role of externalizing problems and alexithymia could open new frontiers in the understanding of suicide. These new data could be useful for the implementation of early screening protocols and for directing clinical interventions, promoting greater emotion regulation and anger management skills among patients.

Resting Heart Rate Variability and Emotion Dysregulation in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Emotion dysregulation is common among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the relationship between emotion dysregulation and resting heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of the autonomic nervous system, in ASD adolescents. Resting HRV data were collected from ASD (n = 23) and typically developing (TD) adolescents (n = 32) via short-term electrocardiogram. Parents/caregivers reported participants' level of emotion dysregulation with the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI). Controlling for the effects of age and gender, regression analyses revealed moderating effects of group, suggesting that lower resting HRV was more strongly associated with greater emotion dysregulation in ASD than TD adolescents. The results support the view that disruptions in autonomic functioning may contribute to emotion dysregulation in ASD.

Altered cortical thickness and emotional dysregulation in adolescents with borderline personality disorder

ABSTRACT Background: Emotional dysregulation is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Previous studies have reported that abnormal grey matter volume is associated with the limbic–cortical circuit and default mode network (DMN) in patients with BPD. However, alterations of cortical thickness in adolescents with BPD have not been well evaluated. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess cortical thickness and its association with emotional dysregulation in adolescents with BPD. Method: This prospective study enrolled 52 adolescents with BPD and 39 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Assessments included brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition with structural and resting-state functional MRI data, and clinical assessment for emotional dysregulation using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Cortical thickness and seed-based functional connectivity were analysed with FreeSurfer 7.2 software. Correlation analysis between cortical thickness and the scores from emotional assessment was performed with Spearman analysis. Results: Compared to HCs, there was altered cortical thickness in the DMN and limbic–cortical circuit in adolescents with BPD (Monte Carlo correction, all p < .05). These regions with altered cortical thickness were significantly associated with emotional dysregulation (all p < .05). There were also alterations of functional connectivity, i.e. with increased connectivity of the right prefrontal cortex with bilateral occipital lobes, or with the limbic system, and with decreased connectivity among the DMN regions (voxel p < .001, cluster p < .05, family-wise error corrected). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the altered cortical thickness and altered functional connectivity in the limbic–cortical circuit and DMN may be involved in emotional dysregulation in adolescents with BPD.

Internet-based emotion-regulation training added to CBT in adolescents with depressive and anxiety disorders: A pilot randomized controlled trial to examine feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness

BackgroundDysfunctional emotion regulation (ER) is associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents. This pilot study aimed to examine the acceptability and feasibility of a guided internet-based emotion regulation training (ERT) added to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Furthermore, we aimed to examine the feasibility of the randomized study design and to provide a first estimate of the effectiveness of CBT + ERT compared with CBT alone in adolescents with depressive or anxiety disorders. MethodsIn a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a parallel group design, 39 patients (13–18 years) with depressive or anxiety disorder were assigned to CBT + ERT (n = 21) or CBT (n = 18). Assessments at baseline, three-months and six-months follow-up included treatment adherence, satisfaction, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and ER strategies. ResultsAdherence to ERT was 66.5 %, and treatment satisfaction was adequate. 76.5 % of eligible patients participated in the study. Linear mixed-model analyses showed significantly reduced anxiety symptoms (p = .003), depressive symptoms (p = .017), and maladaptive ER (p = .014), and enhanced adaptive ER (p = .008) at six months follow-up in the CBT + ERT group compared to controls. LimitationsThe sample size was small, and results regarding effectiveness remain preliminary. Data-collection took place during COVID-19, which may have influenced the results. ConclusionsBoth the intervention and the study design were found to be feasible. In a larger RCT, however, improvement of recruitment strategy is necessary. Preliminary results indicate potential effectiveness in decreasing anxiety, depression, and emotion dysregulation in adolescents. The next step should be the development of an improved internet-based ERT and its evaluation in a larger RCT. Trial registrationRegistered on January 14th, 2020 in The Netherlands Trial Register (NL8304).

The Mediating role of Loneliness in the Relationship between Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the fit of the model of structural relationship between parent-adolescent conflict with emotional dysregulation, with the mediating role of loneliness in adolescents in Tehran.&#x0D; Methods: The statistical population of the study included adolescents aged 13 to 18 years in Tehran. Using available sampling method, 400 people (200 female adolescents and 200 male adolescents) were selected as the sample and used the Asadi and Younesi adolescent parent conflict questionnaire (1390), Russell (1996) revised feelings of loneliness, and Graz and Romer (2004) responded to emotional dysregulation. Structural equation model was used to analyze the data.&#x0D; Findings:The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and emotion dysregulation (p&lt;0.05). Also, there is a positive and significant relationship between parent-adolescent conflict with emotional dysregulation with the mediating role of loneliness (p&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: Based on research findings, it can be concluded that feeling lonely with the occurrence of emotions such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue can play a mediating role between parent-adolescent conflict and emotion disorder.

Gender Moderates the Association Between Cognitive Reappraisal and Alcohol-Related Problems Among Adolescents.

Alcohol use typically begins in adolescence, and the risk of later alcohol use disorders increases with earlier age of onset. Emotion dysregulation in adolescence has been linked to alcohol use. The present study seeks to extend previous findings by examining whether gender moderates the association between emotion regulation strategies (suppression and cognitive reappraisal) and alcohol-related problems in a longitudinal sample of adolescents. Data were collected as part of an ongoing study of high school students from the south-central region of the USA. The sample included 693 adolescents who participated in a study on suicidal ideation and risk behaviors. The majority of participants were girls (54.8%), white (85%) and heterosexual (87.7%). Baseline (T1) and 6-month follow-up (T2) data were analyzed for the present study. Negative binomial moderation analyses revealed that gender moderated the association between cognitive reappraisal and alcohol-related problems, such that the association between reappraisal and alcohol-related problems was significantly stronger for boys than for girls. Gender did not moderate the association between suppression and alcohol-related problems. The results suggest that emotion regulation strategies may be a particularly useful target for prevention and intervention efforts. Future research should consider tailoring adolescent alcohol prevention and intervention efforts focused on emotion regulation strategies by gender to bolster cognitive reappraisal skills and decrease suppression.

Longitudinal relations between maternal and adolescent emotion dysregulation and maternal autonomy support.

IntroductionMaternal characteristics and mother–adolescent relationships are thought to affect the emotional development of adolescents. Adolescents can learn to regulate their emotions by observing their mothers, and this is further facilitated by maternal autonomy support. Therefore, this study longitudinally examined the associations among maternal emotion dysregulation, maternal autonomy support, and adolescent emotion dysregulation.MethodParticipants were 466 Dutch adolescents (54.51% males; M age = 14.03, SD = 0.45) and 462 mothers (M age = 45.49, SD = 4.47), who completed self‐reports of emotion dysregulation and maternal autonomy support for five consecutive years.ResultsRandom Intercept‐Cross Lagged Panel Model analyses showed that at the between‐family level, maternal emotion dysregulation was correlated with adolescent emotion dysregulation, adolescent‐reported maternal autonomy support, and mother‐reported maternal autonomy support; and adolescent emotion dysregulation was correlated with adolescent‐reported maternal autonomy support. At the within‐family level, higher than usual maternal emotion dysregulation was positively related to adolescent emotion dysregulation at Time 1, yet, was negatively related to adolescent emotion dysregulation at other time points concurrently, and predicted lower adolescent emotion dysregulation in the next year. Also, higher than usual adolescent emotion dysregulation was related to lower adolescent‐reported maternal autonomy support both concurrently and the next year.ConclusionsBoth mothers and adolescents played an important role in adolescent emotional development. To promote adolescent emotional development, it is important to target both maternal emotion dysregulation to understand the development of adolescent emotion dysregulation, and adolescent emotion dysregulation to prevent mothers from providing less autonomy support to their adolescents.

The relationship between adolescent emotion dysregulation and problematic technology use: Systematic review of the empirical literature.

Background and aimsWe aimed to systematically identify, evaluate and summarize the research on adolescent emotion dysregulation and problematic technology use. We critically appraise strengths and limitations and provide recommendations for future research.MethodsWe followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and conducted a systematic review of published original reports on adolescent emotion dysregulation and problematic technology use published until March 1, 2022. A thorough search preceded the selection of studies matching prespecified criteria. Strengths and limitations of selected studies, regarding design and reporting, were identified based on current best practices.Results39 studies met inclusion criteria. All of these studies provided on the relationship between adolescent emotion dysregulation and problematic technology use severity based on self-report data.DiscussionThere was a positive correlation between adolescent emotion dysregulation and the severity of problematic technology use. Beyond this, other variables (such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, etc.) were also closely related to emotion dysregulation and problematic technology use. Such studies are of importance to better understand cause-effect relations regarding both variables.

ADHD Symptoms, Peer Problems, and Emotion Dysregulation as Longitudinal and Concurrent Predictors of Adolescent Borderline Personality Features

Objective: ADHD and borderline personality (BP) disorder are highly comorbid and characterized by emotion dysregulation and peer problems. However, limited research has examined social and emotional predictors of BP features in samples that include youth with ADHD. Method: Using a sample of 124 youth with and without ADHD (52% female), ADHD symptoms, peer problems, and emotion dysregulation were assessed in childhood (8–13 years) and in adolescence, along with BP features (13–18 years). Results: In addition to the significant effect of ADHD symptoms, teacher-rated child peer victimization and adolescent-reported peer victimization, poorer close friendships, and emotion dysregulation domains significantly predicted adolescent BP features. Greater parent-rated child and adolescent emotion dysregulation domains also significantly predicted adolescent BP features, with ADHD symptoms no longer significant. Conclusion: Even for youth with ADHD, peer and emotional vulnerabilities in childhood and adolescence may serve as important markers of risk for adolescent BP features.

Trajectory of emotion dysregulation in positive and negative affect across childhood predicts adolescent emotion dysregulation and overall functioning.

Emotion dysregulation is cross-diagnostic and impairing. Most research has focused on dysregulated expressions of negative affect, often measured as irritability, which is associated with multiple forms of psychopathology and predicts negative outcomes. However, the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) include both negative and positive valence systems. Emerging evidence suggests that dysregulated expressions of positive affect, or excitability, in early childhood predict later psychopathology and impairment above and beyond irritability. Typically, irritability declines from early through middle childhood; however, the developmental trajectory of excitability is unknown. The impact of excitability across childhood on later emotion dysregulation is also yet unknown. In a well-characterized, longitudinal sample of 129 children studied from ages 3 to 5.11 years through 14 to 19 years, enriched for early depression and disruptive symptoms, we assessed the trajectory of irritability and excitability using multilevel modeling and how components of these trajectories impact later emotion dysregulation. While irritability declines across childhood, excitability remains remarkably stable both within and across the group. Overall levels of excitability (excitability intercept) predict later emotion dysregulation as measured by parent and self-report and predict decreased functional magnetic resonance imaging activity in cognitive emotion regulation regions during an emotion regulation task. Irritability was not related to any dysregulation outcome above and beyond excitability.