Measures Of Emotion Regulation Research Articles

How does emotion regulation change during psychotherapy? A daily diary study of adults in a transdiagnostic partial hospitalization program.

Improvement in emotion regulation is a proposed transdiagnostic mechanism of change. However, treatment research is limited by disorder-specific investigations that assess a narrow number of emotion regulation strategies. Moreover, most assess pre-to-post-treatment change without examining short-term changes throughout psychotherapy that might influence treatment response. To address these gaps, this study uses daily diary methodology to examine trajectories of change in use of six emotion regulation strategies during partial hospitalization psychiatric treatment. Treatment was rooted in cognitive behavioral principles and included skills adapted from empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) manuals. Participants were adults (N = 364; Mage = 34.6 years; 60% female; 85% non-Hispanic White) with various profiles of mood, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders who completed symptom measures at baseline and discharge and daily measures of emotion regulation. In the first 7 treatment days, patients increased use of engagement strategies (reappraisal, acceptance) and decreased use of disengagement (expressive suppression) and cognitive perseveration (experiential avoidance, rumination) strategies. Day-to-day trajectories found that decreased use of experiential avoidance predicted next-day changes in distraction and suppression use. In predicting treatment outcomes, steeper rates of decreased suppression use predicted reductions in anxiety, depression, and general psychopathology symptoms; similar patterns were observed for decreased rumination and experiential avoidance use and increased reappraisal use. Results add to a growing literature on the value of intentional, constructive engagement with emotional experiences as a mechanism of psychological health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire-short (CERQ-P-short): Reliability, validity, factor structure, treatment sensitivity, and measurement invariance

AimsThis study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of a widely-used measure of emotion regulation, the short version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-short), in the Persian language (CERQ-P-short) among Iranian populations. MethodsThe CERQ-P-short was administered to 1825 participants (female = 974) including 436 adolescents, 834 adults from the general population, 45 patients each with generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, an additional 30 patients each with generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders receiving treatment, 45 patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) and an additional 360 adult psychiatric patients. We tested reliability, factor structure, measurement invariance, convergent and discriminant validity, and treatment sensitivity (i.e., intervention response) by age, sex, and diagnostic group. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 was also administered. ResultsCronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest coefficients suggested good reliability. Fit indices suggested that the 9-factor CERQ-P-Short model was good across groups. The CERQ-P-Short showed good measurement invariance in all four models (configural, metric, scalar, and strict) in all groups. Both adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion-regulation strategies demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity. Finally, treatment sensitivity of the CERQ-P-Short scale before and after the completion of treatment sessions was suggested for patients with generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. ConclusionsWhile the present study has some limitations, it represents a significant contribution because it supports CERQ-P-Short scales usefulness, validity, and reliability in the general population and among psychiatric patients. The results of the current study can be beneficial to the both clinicians and researchers.

The inner workings of anger: A network analysis of anger and emotion regulation.

This study aimed to investigate the interrelations between emotion regulation strategies and different types of anger using network analysis. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional sample of 538 adults (55% females; mean age = 39.8 years, SD = 12.3) seeking treatment for anger. Data were collected between March and November 2019 in Sweden. Participants completed measures of anger problems (anger expression, anger suppression, angry reactions, anger rumination, trait anger, hostility, physical aggression, and verbal aggression) and emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, anger relaxation, and five mindfulness strategies). To determine whether distinct clusters of anger nodes would emerge, exploratory graph analysis was employed. Based on clustering of nodes, we estimated separate networks including all measures of emotion regulation. Two clusters emerged: one consisting primarily of cognitive components of anger, and another of behavioral. Across networks, anger nodes were strongly interconnected, and anger rumination and anger suppression were especially influential. Several direct links were found between specific emotion regulation strategies and cognitive components of anger, whereas most strategies were only indirectly related to angry behavior. Cognitive reappraisal showed no direct link with any of the anger nodes. Our findings reveal potential pathways by which different emotion regulation strategies may influence different types of anger, which could serve as therapeutic targets.

The emotion regulation strategies of flourishing adults

Flourishing is an optimal state of wellbeing, but the mechanisms that enable flourishing are unclear. This study examined the role of emotion regulation (ER) strategies that may enable flourishing. The first aim examined differences between flourishers and non-flourishers in the use of functional/adaptive and dysfunctional/maladaptive ER strategies. A second aim specifically compared differences between flourishers and those non-flourishers who were free of psychopathology. We hypothesised that flourishers utilise greater use of functional/adaptive and lower use of dysfunctional/maladaptive strategies in comparison with non-flourishers, and those without pathology. Australian adults (N = 292) completed measures of flourishing, depression, and anxiety, and two measures of emotion regulation. Quota sampling obtained a balanced sample by age-group and gender. Regression analyses regressed ER strategies on flourishing and depression/anxiety status, adjusting for socio-demographic covariates. ER measures included the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) to assess reappraisal and suppression strategies, and the Emotion Regulation Profile – Revised (ERP-R) used vignettes to assess intentional response to situations. For the first aim, there was limited evidence that flourishers utilise higher levels of functional/adaptive, but substantive evidence that they use lower levels of dysfunctional/maladaptive ER strategies. For the second aim, flourishing was associated with these ER strategies over-and-above being free of pathology. The findings highlight a nuanced understanding of the ER of flourishers; flourishers appear to limit their use of dysfunctional/maladaptive strategies and do not necessarily report increased use of functional/adaptive strategies. Implications for wellbeing research and clinical practice are discussed.

Relationships Between Prenatal Cocaine Exposure, Cannabis-Use Onset and Emotional and Related Characteristics in Young/Emerging Adults

Background: Exposure to substances in utero may have significant early-life consequences. Less is known about the effects in emerging adulthood, particularly regarding patterns of substance use and related characteristics. Objectives: In this study, we recruited emerging adults, followed since birth, who had been prenatally exposed, or not, to cocaine. Individuals reported on their cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use, and measures of impulsivity, anhedonia, emotional regulation, and mental health were obtained. Comparisons were made between emerging adults with prenatal cocaine exposure and those without. Correlations were performed between psychological measures and substance use, and regression analyses were conducted to determine potential pathways by which such measures may relate to prenatal exposure or substance use. Results: Individuals with prenatal cocaine exposure (vs. those without) used cannabis at younger ages, reported greater cannabis-use severity, and demonstrated higher impulsivity, state anxiety, and alexithymia. Earlier age of onset of cannabis use was associated with higher impulsivity, state anxiety, alexithymia, and social and physical anhedonia. Cannabis-use age-of-onset mediated the relationship between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and state anxiety and between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and cannabis-use severity in emerging adulthood but not relationships between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and impulsivity or alexithymia in emerging adulthood. Findings suggest that adults with prenatal cocaine exposure may use cannabis at younger ages, which may relate to increased anxiety and more severe use. Conclusions: These findings suggest both mechanisms and possible intervention targets to improve mental health in emerging adults with prenatal cocaine exposure.

29 Regulate to Remember: Cognitive Reappraisal Ability Impacts Prospective Memory Performance

Objective:Emotion regulation is generally thought of as the process of overriding one's initial emotional response to personally relevant events. One frequently investigated type of emotion regulation is cognitive reappraisal, which describes one's ability to cognitively alter the meaning of an event. Cognitive reappraisal is associated with better cognitive, social, and health outcomes compared to other emotion regulation strategies. The cognitive building blocks of cognitive reappraisal are related to executive cognitive control processes, which broadly describe one's ability to engage in non-automatic and goal-oriented behaviors. Crucially, executive control processes are also relevant in demanding cognitive tasks such as prospective memory since, similarly to cognitive reappraisal, they involve effortful and purpose driven efforts. However, cognitive reappraisal has thus far not been investigated regarding prospective memory performance despite findings that suggest that emotionally evocative stimuli improve prospective memory performance. The present study investigated whether cognitive reappraisal state and trait measures as well as other types of emotion regulation strategies are associated with prospective memory accuracy of negatively valenced prospective memory targets.Participants and Methods:A total of 45 participants (69% women; M = 22.62 years, SD = 5.69 years) took part in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive reappraisal and prospective memory tasks were administered on the computer. A total of 106 pictures were shown in the prospective memory task, including 12 prospective memory hits. A 2-back paradigm was used as the effortful ongoing task. Dependent measures included accuracy of and reaction times to negative prospective memory hits. A total of 45 pictures were shown in the cognitive reappraisal task. Participants were asked to decrease their negative emotions when looking at previously normed negatively valenced pictures versus merely looking at them (Lang et al., 2001). Dependent measures in the cognitive reappraisal task included success of downregulating negative emotion after the DECREASE versus LOOK instruction. A mood manipulation check and a questionnaire asking about participants' reappraisal strategies was conducted. Trait based measures of emotion regulation included the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Dysfunction of Emotion Regulation Scale.Results:Participants endorsed significantly higher negative mood after looking at negative versus neutral pictures, t(48) = 22.77, p , .05). Ratings further indicated that participants were able to significantly decrease how negative they felt when reappraising versus looking at negative pictures, t(44) = 12.82, p , .05. Regarding the relationship between prospective memory accuracy of negatively valanced prospective memory targets and cognitive reappraisal ability, no significant bivariate correlation was found (p > .05). However, a significant bivariate correlation was found between reaction times to negatively valenced prospective memory targets and cognitive reappraisal ability (rs = -.32, p = .03). No significant relationship was observed between prospective memory accuracy of or reaction times to negatively valenced prospective memory targets and trait based measures of emotion regulation (all ps > .05).Conclusions:Hypotheses were partly supported. Higher state-based cognitive reappraisal abilities may be associated with lower cognitive costs when asked to remember negatively evocative pictures and/or higher overall cognitive capacity. The importance of assessing emotion regulation when utilizing emotionally evocative stimuli and their clinical significant is discussed.

Measurement of Emotion Regulation in a Clinical Sample of Children: The Psychometric Properties of the How I Feel Scale

Emotion regulation (ER) is a crucial construct in the study of child education, development, and psychopathology. The How I Feel (HIF) questionnaire, a self-report measure of ER for children, was validated in school-based, nonclinical samples. The current study examined the factor structure of the HIF in a clinical sample of children ( N = 195; 73.33% male; 79.49% White; 61.03% diagnosed with ADHD). Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original 3-factor model. An exploratory factor analysis revealed an altered five-factor model with identical Positive Emotion and Emotion Control factors, but the original Negative Emotion factor was divided into three factors: Mad Emotion, Sad and Scared Frequency, and Sad and Scared Intensity. Results suggest that the HIF may not accurately assess the intensity and frequency of negative emotions in clinical samples.

The Rating of Emotional Abuse in Childhood (REACH) Questionnaire: A new self-report measure assessing history of childhood emotional abuse

BackgroundA history of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) is prevalent among adults with affective disorders; therefore, a comprehensive measure of it is vital. The Rating of Emotional Abuse in Childhood Questionnaire (REACH) was developed to assess history of CEA in relation to parental behaviours of threat, ignoring, humiliation/denigration, scapegoating, antipathy, and overcontrol/conditionality in a single measure. This paper investigated the psychometric properties of REACH in a community sample and proposes values for classifying individuals as high-risk for CEA. MethodA convenience sample of N = 483 adults (Female, 78.3%) was recruited to complete questionnaires that included the REACH alongside measures of mental health, insecure attachment, emotion regulation, and childhood abuse. A subset of participants (n = 198) completed the REACH 7 days later. ResultsFactor analysis indicated a 2-factor model provided a good fit. Factors were named ‘threatening’ and ‘devaluing’. A total scale score of CEA was also recommended. The threatening, devaluing, and total scales demonstrated strong psychometric properties with high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity, while cutoff values for identifying a high-risk CEA group demonstrated good discriminant utility. ConclusionsThe results support REACH as a valid measure and suggest a history of CEA should be measured in relation to threatening and devaluing CEA as they represent unique dimensions of CEA even though they often co-occur.

COVID-19 Lockdown Effects on Mood: Impact of Sex, Age, and Underlying Disease

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown periods had a significant negative impact on people’s lives and psychological well-being. However, the impact of lockdowns differed between individuals. This study aimed to identify vulnerable groups and investigated the relationship between mood and perceived immune fitness and the number and severity of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the Netherlands. In addition, the impact of emotion regulation and other preventive measures was considered. The aim of the study was to identify possible differences according to sex, age, and the presence of underlying disease. A two-part online survey among N = 1415 individuals of the Dutch population (18 to 94 years old) was conducted in the summer of 2020. N = 541 of these participants also completed part 2 of the survey. A series of questionnaires was completed on mood, quality of life, lifestyle, immune fitness, and the number and severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Retrospectively, the period before the first lockdown (15 January–14 March 2020) was compared with the first lockdown (15 March–11 May 2020). The analysis revealed that the lockdown period was associated with significantly poorer mood, poorer immune fitness, and reduced quality of life. Poorer mood was associated with a significantly reduced immune fitness and a significant increase in the number and severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Mood changes did not differ significantly between men and women. Some mood effects were significantly more pronounced for individuals with underlying diseases (depression, fatigue, and stress) and younger individuals (depression and loneliness). Regarding lifestyle factors, no significant lockdown effects were seen according to underlying disease status. During the lockdown period, women reported a decline in nutrition scores, which was not seen in men, whereas they reported receiving more support from family and friends than men. Regarding age, younger individuals reported a significantly greater negative impact on physical activity and being active than the older participants. No differential effects for the groups were found for health correlates. In conclusion, significant negative lockdown effects on mood, quality of life, and immune fitness were observed across the population. The effects were significantly more pronounced among young individuals and those with underlying disease.

Heart rate variability and risk of agitation in Alzheimer's disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Agitation in Alzheimer's disease is common and may be related to impaired emotion regulation capacity. Heart rate variability, a proposed index of autonomic and emotion regulation neural network integrity, could be associated with agitation propensity in Alzheimer's disease. We used the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort data, collected over seven visits spanning over two decades, to investigate whether heart rate variability (change) was associated with agitation risk in individuals clinically diagnosed with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Agitation (absence/presence) at Visit 5, the primary outcome, was based on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory agitation/aggression subscale, or a composite score comprising the total number of agitation/aggression, irritability, disinhibition and aberrant motor behaviour subscales present. Visit 1-5 heart rate variability measures were the log-transformed root mean square of successive differences in R-R intervals and standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals obtained from resting, supine, standard 12-lead ECGs. To aid interpretability, heart rate variability data were scaled such that model outputs were expressed for each 0.05 log-unit change in heart rate variability (which approximated to the observed difference in heart rate variability with every 5 years of age). Among 456 participants who had dementia, 120 were clinically classified to have dementia solely attributable to Alzheimer's disease. This group showed a positive relationship between heart rate variability and agitation risk in regression models, which was strongest for measures of (potentially vagally mediated) heart rate variability change over the preceding two decades. Here, a 0.05 log-unit of heart rate variability change was associated with an up to 10-fold increase in the odds of agitation and around a half-unit increase in the composite agitation score. Associations persisted after controlling for participants' cognitive status, heart rate (change), sociodemographic factors, co-morbidities and medications with autonomic effects. Further confirmatory studies, incorporating measures of emotion regulation, are needed to support heart rate variability indices as potential agitation propensity markers in Alzheimer's disease and to explore underlying mechanisms as targets for treatment development.

HUBUNGAN REGULASI EMOSI DENGAN SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING PADA REMAJA YANG TINGGAL DI PONDOK PESANTREN

Adolescents with high subjective well being will experience life satisfaction and experience joy more often, and rarely experience unpleasant emotions, such as sadness and anger. Adolescents with high subjective well being will tend to have emotions that are always positive which in the end all life problems and developmental tasks can be resolved properly. This study aims to determine the effect of the relationship between emotion regulation and subjective well being in adolescents who live in boarding schools. The variables of this study are emotion regulation as the independent variable (X) and subjective well being as the dependent variable (Y). This research design uses a correlational approach with a sample of 108 students, using probability sampling technique with simple random sampling type. This research instrument is the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and Scale of Positive An Negative Experience (SPANE) with Cronbach's Alpha reliability of 0.877 to measure subjective well being. The Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) with Cronbach's Alpha reliability of 0.730 to measure emotion regulation. Data analysis in this study used Pearson product moment correlation. The results of data analysis show that there is no significant relationship between emotion regulation and subjective well being in adolescents at boarding schools with a sig value. 0,383 (p<0,05).

Age differences in peritraumatic and posttraumatic processing.

There is limited research investigating the mechanisms underlying the lower rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in older compared to younger adults. This study examined age differences in peritraumatic and posttraumatic reactions, and the use of two emotion regulation strategies (rumination and positive reappraisal) using a trauma film induction paradigm. Participants (45 older adults and 45 younger adults) watched a trauma film. Eye gaze, Galvanic Skin Response, peritraumatic distress, and emotion regulation were assessed during the film. Participants completed an intrusive memory diary over the next 7 days and follow-up measures of posttraumatic symptoms and emotion regulation. Findings showed no age differences in peritraumatic distress or use of rumination or positive reappraisal during film viewing. Older adults reported lower posttraumatic stress and distress from intrusive memories than younger adults at the 1-week follow-up, despite experiencing a comparable number of intrusions. Rumination was a unique predictor of intrusive and hyperarousal symptoms, after accounting for age. There were no age differences in the use of positive appraisal, and positive reappraisal was not associated with posttraumatic stress. Lower rates of late-life PTSD may relate to decreased use of maladaptive emotion regulation (i.e., rumination), rather than increased use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies (i.e., positive reappraisal). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion Regulation Strategies in Educational, Work and Sport Contexts: An Approach in Five Countries.

One of the greatest challenges in the domain of emotional regulation is comprehending the functionality of strategies and their utilization in various social contexts. In this sense, this study analyzes differences in the use and efficacy of regulation strategies, particularly of interpersonal strategies like altruism, social support, negotiation, mediation, regulation, and rituals, in samples of workers (N = 687) and students (N = 959) from Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Spain, and Uruguay, and athletes (N =144) from Spain. Participants answered questions pertaining to measures of affect or emotional regulation (MARS and ERQ self-regulation scales and EROS heteroregulation), as well as questions of a wellbeing scale (PHI) and questions related to emotional creativity (ECI), humor styles (HSQ), and adjustment to stress. Athletes reported less emotional discharge, use of humor, and affection, and greater confrontation and use of rituals than students and workers. A congruent relationship was found between the use of functional strategies (like direct coping, distraction, reevaluation, and active physiological regulation) and adjustment to stress, well-being, and creativity. Seeking social support, negotiation, and, to an extent, altruism, confirmed their predicted adaptive character. Mediation and delegation did not confirm their predicted adaptive character. Rumination, social comparison, rituals, confrontation, and suppression were maladaptive for workers and students, but the first four strategies were functional for athletes, who display a higher self-control and a more team-oriented and competitive emotional culture. Finally, the results show that adaptive regulation strategies mediate the relationship between well-being and adjustment to stress.

Correlation between emotion dysregulation and mood symptoms of bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Emotion dysregulation (ED) is a transdiagnostic construct characterized by difficulties regulating intense emotions. People with bipolar disorder (BD) are more likely to show ED and use maladaptive emotion regulation strategies than adaptive ones. However, little is known about whether ED in BD is a trait or it is rather an epiphenomenon of mood symptoms. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence across major literature databases reporting correlations between measures of emotion regulation (overall ED and different emotion regulation strategies) and measures of depressive and (hypo)manic symptoms in BD from inception until April 12th, 2022. Fourteen studies involving 1371 individuals with BD were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which 11 reported quantitative information and were included in the meta-analysis. ED and maladaptive strategies were significantly higher during periods with more severe mood symptoms, especially depressive ones, while adaptive strategies were lower. ED significantly correlates with BD symptomatology, and it mainly occurs during mood alterations. ED may be a target for specific psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments, according to precision psychiatry. However, further studies are needed, including patients with mood episodes and longitudinal design, to provide more robust evidence and explore the causal direction of the associations.

Investigating the combined and unique contributions of positive psychological traits to sleep and exploring emotion regulation as a common mediator

The identification of variables which facilitate good quality and quantity sleep represents an important step in tackling the current global sleep loss epidemic. Previous research has established links between good sleep and the positive psychological traits of mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude and optimism. However, studies have typically focused on single traits, limiting understanding of their collective and independent associations. The two studies reported here address this gap by exploring the combined and unique contributions of mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude and optimism to sleep; Study 2 further investigated emotion regulation as a common underlying mechanism. Participants in both studies (Study 1 N = 268; Study 2 N = 333) completed online questionnaires assessing the four positive psychological traits and sleep quality and quantity; participants in Study 2 also completed measures of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation. Multiple regression analyses revealed that mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude and optimism collectively accounted for 24.96% (Study 1) and 15.81% (Study 2) of the variance in overall sleep quality and quantity. Optimism and mindfulness emerged as significant linear predictors in their own right, with higher levels of optimism and mindfulness respectively being associated with better sleep. Study 2 further identified maladaptive emotion regulation as a common mediating mechanism. Findings highlight the importance of positive psychological traits in relation to sleep and indicate that optimism and mindfulness might make unique contributions to the prediction of sleep outcomes. Findings also flag emotion regulation as a potential common mediator of associations between positive psychological traits and sleep.

Emotion regulation among 4-6 year-old children and its association with their peer relationships in Jordan.

Specific characteristics and competencies are required for maintaining peer relationships, and this study hypothesizes that emotion regulation is one of the competencies. The current study aimed to investigate the association between emotion regulation and peer relationships in 4-6-year-old children, and examine the sex differences among them. This study examined sex differences in peer relationships and the emotion regulation ability of children aged 4-6 years. The study sample comprised 300 children aged 4-6 years [170 girls (56.7%) and 130 boys (43.3%)] studying in kindergarten and first grade in Jordan. As part of data collection, questionnaires were distributed to teachers. The Emotion Regulation Scale (ERC) was used to measure emotion regulation, and the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE) scale, a subscale of the SCBE, was utilized to assess peer relationships. The results revealed a positive relationship between emotion regulation and positive poles of peer relationships (integrated, calm, and pro-social) and a significant negative relationship between emotional lability/negativity and positive poles of peer relationships. These results can be used to design intervention programs to reduce aggressive behavior in children.

The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (ERQ-S): A 6-item measure of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression

BackgroundEmotion regulation plays a crucial role in affective functioning. One of the most commonly used measures of emotion regulation is the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), a 10-item self-report measure assessing frequency of use of two common emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. In this study, we aimed to optimize the utility of the ERQ for time-pressured settings by introducing and validating a 6-item short form called the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (ERQ-S). MethodGeneral community (N = 508) and college student (N = 245) samples from the United States completed online surveys containing a range of psychometric self-report measures. For each sample, we examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of the ERQ-S. ResultsOur confirmatory factor analyses supported the intended 2-factor structure of the ERQ-S (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression factors), with all items loading well on their intended factor in both samples. As expected, the ERQ-S correlated highly with the ERQ. A profile of low cognitive reappraisal use and high expressive suppression use on the ERQ-S was significantly associated with higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties, alexithymia, and affective symptoms. LimitationsWe did not examine psychometric performance in a clinical sample, or other cultural groups outside the US. All concurrent validity markers were self-report questionnaires. ConclusionsOur data suggest that the ERQ-S successfully retains the psychometric strengths of the ERQ. The shorter format of the ERQ-S should therefore help to optimize the measurement of emotion regulation in time-pressured settings.

The Role of Emotion Regulation for General Self-Efficacy in Adolescents Assessed Through Both Neurophysiological and Self-Reported Measures.

Self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability and capacity to organize and execute actions required to achieve desired results, is associated with adolescent academic achievement and reduced risk for psychopathology. Adolescent emotion regulation represents an important component in the relationship between self-efficacy and developmental outcomes, but the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are poorly understood. It is unclear how emotion regulation strategies, which change with experience, and emotion regulation capacity, which is largely determined by genetics, contribute to the development of self-efficacy. The present study aims to explore the relationship between emotion regulation and self-efficacy in adolescents. We hypothesize that neurophysiological emotion regulation capacity moderates the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and self-efficacy. The present study applied a cross-sectional design. A sample of high-school students (N = 45, nfemale = 31, age = 17-18) provided answers on the General Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Vagal tone was used as an indicator for emotion regulation capacity. In the initial correlational analysis, reappraisal, but not expressive suppression nor vagal tone was associated with self-efficacy. Vagal tone was not associated with any self-report measures of emotion regulation or self-efficacy. Contrary to our hypothesis, vagal tone did not moderate the relationship between emotion regulation and self-efficacy. This is the first study assessing the relationship between neurophysiological indicators of emotion regulation and self-efficacy. Our results do not indicate that vagal tone moderates the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and general self-efficacy. Future studies should also assess the possible influence of metacognition and interoception on relationships.

Cognitive emotion regulation strategies among emerging adults with different self-harm histories

BackgroundSelf-injurious behaviors have a high prevalence in emerging adulthood. People who engage in self-injury report more emotion regulation difficulties than their peers without self-injury. However, there is little research on how use of emotion regulation strategies varies over brief periods among emerging adults with differing self-harm histories. The current study examined variability in cognitive emotion regulation strategies between emerging adults with no self-harm, previous suicide attempts, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). MethodsForty-one racially and ethnically diverse participants, ages 18–27, completed measures of cognitive emotion regulation once daily for one week. ResultsData collected from 5 of these days were analyzed due to missing data on days 6 and 7. Growth curve analyses revealed differences in trajectories of rumination, acceptance, and catastrophizing, depending on self-harm histories. Specifically, participants with previous NSSI displayed increases in rumination, acceptance, and catastrophizing over time, compared to peers with a previous suicide attempt. LimitationsThe study design was limited by lack of assessment of self-harm during the daily diary, a limited assessment period of only one week, and distal time period of group classification. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that while emerging adults with NSSI histories use more emotion regulation strategies, they may need assistance in selecting when and how to use specific strategies.

How do mindfulness and compassion programs improve mental health and well-being? The role of attentional processing of emotional information

Background and objectivesAlthough the benefits of Meditation-Based Programs are well documented, the mechanisms underlying these benefits have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we examined whether: (1) formal training in mindfulness and compassion meditation modifies the distribution of attentional resources towards emotional information; and (2) whether changes in attentional processing of emotional information after the meditation programs mediate the improvements in psychological distress, emotion regulation, and well-being. MethodsA sample of 103 participants enrolled in the study: 36 in the mindfulness program (MBSR), 30 in the compassion program (CCT), and 37 in the no-intervention comparison group (CG). The assessment before and after the programs included the completion of an emotional Attentional Blink task (AB) together with self-report measures of psychological distress, emotion regulation, and well-being. ResultsMBSR and CCT reduced similarly the AB deficit, whereas no changes occurred in the CG. This AB reduction was found for the different emotional and non-emotional stimuli (i.e., negative, positive, and neutral), showing a significant disengagement from first-target emotions and significant accessibility of second-target emotions to consciousness. The effects of both meditation programs on the psychological measures were mediated by changes in the AB and emotion regulation skills. LimitationsDue to our naturalistic design in a real-world community setting, random assignment of participants was not feasible. ConclusionsMeditation may promote more flexible and balanced attention to emotional information, which may be a key transdiagnostic mechanism underlying its benefits on emotional distress and well-being.