Emotion Regulation Skills Research Articles

Applying Research Domain Criteria to the study of emotion dysregulation in infancy and early childhood

AbstractEmotion regulation is a principal task of early development. The failure to develop effective emotion regulation skills is associated with behavioural, academic, psychological and socioemotional difficulties. Although researchers have studied emotion regulation for decades, work on emotion dysregulation—defined as the inability to maintain emotional control, engage with the environment or recover from distress in a developmentally appropriate manner—is rare and there are discrepancies in its conceptualisation among very young samples. While some scientists refer to emotion dysregulation as if it were a discrete concept, it may be more accurately depicted as a multidimensional system of developmental processes. The National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) is a framework that allows researchers to track dysfunction across multiple areas of analysis and may be an ideal system for exploring the multidimensional nature of infant emotion dysregulation. In this paper, we draw on empirical studies to describe how the RDoC framework can be used to support studies of emotion dysregulation in infancy. This proposed model can also serve as a roadmap for future researchers to follow to generate the evidence base for a multidimensional conceptualisation of infant emotion dysregulation and its underlying mechanisms.

Short-term effects of the "I Spy Feelings" program on emotion regulation in 5- to 6-year-old children.

Mental health difficulties in early childhood can have a debilitating and ongoing impact throughout an individual's life; emotion regulation can serve as a protective factor. Therefore, evidence-based prevention programs that teach children effective skills and strategies for emotion regulation are needed. As part of the Aussie Optimism pilot study evaluating the "I Spy Feelings" program, this study aims to assess the short-term effects of the program on emotion regulation in pre-primary aged children after 2 months via a longitudinal cluster randomized controlled trial. Participants included parents (N = 73) of 5- to 6-year-old children attending four different Catholic primary schools. Children from two of the schools were allocated to the intervention group where they participated in the program (N = 33), while children from the other two schools were allocated to the control group where they did not (N = 40). At each time point, all parents completed abridged Children's Emotional Management Scales measuring how well parents believe their child is able to cope with anger, sadness and worry. A significant intervention effect 2 months after intervention was found for the outcome of anger coping such that parents whose children were in the intervention group reported significantly greater improvement in their children's ability to cope with anger compared to parents whose children were in the control group. No significant effect was found for the outcome of sadness, and results for the worry subscale were inconclusive due to unacceptable internal consistency. The present study provides insight into the benefit of programs designed to enhance the emotion regulation skills of very young children. Further follow-up is needed to assess whether the "I Spy Feelings" program has lasting effects.

Co-development of traumatic stress symptoms and externalising behaviour problems among foster children and the effect of complex trauma: a latent growth curve model

ObjectivesFoster children are disproportionately exposed to complex trauma, which may lead to multifaceted impairments that manifest in comorbid emotional and behavioural problems. As little is known about the interactions between...

Employee wellness: Position paper of the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA)

Employee wellness is central to meaningful engagement in work occupations and contributes positively to conflict resolution, stress management and productivity in the workplace. An employee who experiences wellness in the workplace will thus act accordingly with confidence; demonstrate emotional regulation skills, creativity, and resilience. This sentiment is supported by the South African Framework for the Employee Health and Wellness in Public Service, which stives to support healthy and productive employees. Employee wellness manifests through physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, moral, ethical and occupational well-being.

Mothers' resilience and potential for disrupted parenting in COVID-19: The protective effect of cognitive reappraisal.

Stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic may pose acute threats to caregivers' capacity to cope and result in problematic parenting. However, studies have suggested that some caregivers were able to maintain high resilience when facing hardship. The goal of the present study was to examine how COVID-19-related stress affects resilience and parenting of mothers with young children and whether mothers' individual differences in emotion regulation skills lead to different resilience and parenting outcomes. We followed a sample of 298 mothers in the United States with children between 0 and 3 years old over 9 months beginning in April 2020 when most states were on lockdown. Results indicated that both COVID-19-related stress in April 2020 and greater increases/smaller decreases of COVID-19-related stress across 9 months were associated with mothers' lower resilience in January 2021. Low resilience, in turn, was associated with mothers' higher parenting stress, perceptions of parenting incompetence, and risk for child abuse. Furthermore, for mothers with low and moderate levels of cognitive reappraisal, a greater increase/smaller decrease in COVID-19-related stress was associated with their lower resilience after 9 months. In contrast, for mothers with high cognitive reappraisal, the change in COVID-19-related stress was not related to their resilience. This study demonstrates the importance of cognitive reappraisal for mothers of young children to resist and thrive against chronic and uncontrollable external stressors, which are crucial to preventing mothers' child abuse potential and maintaining positive parenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

A pilot study examining the effectiveness of a short-term, DBT informed, skills group for emotion dysregulation during the perinatal period.

The perinatal period (pregnancy and the first-year postpartum) is a time of increased vulnerability to mental health difficulties including emotion dysregulation. Research conducted on treatments targeting emotion dysregulation during this time is limited. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills groups are considered the gold standard for targeting emotion dysregulation. We developed and evaluated the effectiveness of a seven-session DBT informed skills group (perinatal emotion regulation skills [Peri-ERS]) tailored to meet the unique emotion dysregulation experienced by women within the perinatal period. N = 41 perinatal women participated in the Peri-ERS group within the Women's Health Concern's Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. Participants completed a semistructured assessment to determine eligibility. They completed self-report symptom measures at baseline, Sessions 1-6, and posttreatment assessments. Paired-samples t tests, Cohen's d, and Friedman's rank tests were run to examine change over time. Reliable and clinical change index (RCI) analysis was conducted on emotion dysregulation. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in all symptom domain measures. Forty-eight percent of participants exhibited reliable clinical change on emotion dysregulation. These findings suggest the Peri-ERS group is effective in reducing emotion dysregulation symptoms for perinatal women. These results are promising as this novel treatment addresses a gap in the literature and may potentially be implemented in women's health clinics as a way of improving overall perinatal care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The associations between interoceptive awareness, emotion regulation, acceptance, and well-being in patients receiving multicomponent treatment: a dynamic panel network model.

Mechanisms of change represent the cornerstone of the therapeutic process. This study aimed to investigate how network models could be used to test mechanisms of change at a group level. A secondary aim was to investigate which of the several hypothesized mechanisms (emotion regulation, interoceptive awareness, and acceptance) are related to changes in psychological well-being. The sample comprised adult patients suffering from psychological disorders (N=444; 70% women) from 7 clinical sites in the Czech Republic who were undergoing groupbased multicomponent treatment composed mainly of psychodynamic psychotherapy (lasting from 4 to 12 weeks depending on the clinical site). Data were collected weekly using the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, emotion regulation skills questionnaire, chronic pain acceptance questionnaire-symptoms and outcome rating scale. A lag-1 longitudinal network model was employed for exploratory analysis of the panel data. The pruned final model demonstrated a satisfactory fit. Three networks were computed, i.e., temporal, contemporaneous, and between-person networks. The most central node was the modification of negative emotions. Mechanisms that were positively associated with well-being included modification, readiness to confront negative emotions, activity engagement, and trust in bodily signals. Acceptance of negative emotions showed a negative association with well-being. Moreover, noticing bodily sensations, not worrying, and self-regulation contributed indirectly to changes in well-being. In conclusion, the use of network methodology to model panel data helped generate novel hypotheses for future research and practice; for instance, well-being could be actively contributing to other mechanisms, not just a passive outcome.

The effects of HeartMath Heart Lock‐In on elementary students' HRV and self‐reported emotion regulation skills

AbstractIt is important to address social and emotional concerns early on, as they can adversely affect learning at all levels. The classroom is an ideal context for fostering healthy social and emotional development. For example, emotion regulation can be reinforced through simple daily practices within schools. The current applied research project was in collaboration with multiple community partners and assessed the effectiveness of a classroom‐based HeartMath practice (Heart Lock‐In) on resting heart rate variability (HRV) and self‐reported emotional benefits in elementary students. This repeated‐measures study was conducted in central Alberta, Canada, in 2020 and involved obtaining pre–post HRV measurements from N = 24 grade five students who participated in a teacher‐led 5‐min Heart Lock‐In (like loving‐kindness—radiating love to oneself and others) daily for 4 weeks. We hypothesized that the practice would increase resting HRV compared to a 4‐week relaxation control. Qualitative questions were included to capture perceptions of the utility and impact of the practice. Univariate analysis of variance revealed that the HeartMath intervention significantly increased HRV compared to the relaxation control. Students reported enhanced emotional stability, feeling more positive about themselves, and improved interpersonal relationships. They expressed that the practice gives them better focus, which helps us to improve their performance (e.g., in academics and athletics). These findings provide evidence that a simple and short HeartMath ER practice can be practical for school educators, administrators, and counselors to implement in the classroom.

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.

Examining the effects of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies as predictors of teacher resilience in EFL context.

This study investigates the effects of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies on teacher resilience in the English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The study aims to understand the relationships between these variables and their potential implications for promoting teacher resilience. A sample of 711 Chinese EFL teachers participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the instruments used to measure teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, emotional labor strategies, and teacher resilience. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships between these variables. The results of the study revealed that teacher self-compassion and emotional labor strategies had direct positive effects on teacher resilience. Specifically, higher levels of self-compassion and effective use of emotional labor strategies were associated with greater teacher resilience. Furthermore, teacher emotion regulation was found to indirectly predict teacher resilience through the mediation of emotional labor strategies. This suggests that the ability to regulate emotions influences the adoption of effective emotional labor strategies, which in turn contributes to higher levels of teacher resilience. The findings of this study highlight the importance of teacher self-compassion, emotion regulation, and emotional labor strategies in promoting teacher resilience in the EFL context. Interventions aimed at enhancing teacher emotional regulation skills and fostering self-compassion may have significant implications for supporting teachers in managing the demands and challenges of their profession, ultimately enhancing their resilience. These findings contribute to the understanding of factors that can promote teacher resilience and inform the development of targeted interventions in the EFL context.

A Scoping Review of Factors Associated With Emotional Dysregulation in Adults With ADHD

Objective: Emotion dysregulation is frequently seen in adults with ADHD and is associated with many adverse outcomes. We conducted a scoping review of factors associated with emotion dysregulation in adults with ADHD. Method: PubMed and PsycInfo (EBSCO) were searched. Articles were included if they measured ADHD, emotional dysregulation or some aspect of emotional dysregulation, and at least one other construct. Studies examining physiological underpinnings as well as clinical trials examining the effect of ADHD medications on emotional dysregulation were excluded because recent reviews have already examined these topics. Results: Thirty-five studies were included in the review. Factors such as biological sex, comorbidities, attachment style, using certain emotional regulation strategies, and ADHD subtype tend to be related to emotion dysregulation. Conclusion: Clinicians working with adults with ADHD can collect information on these factors to better understand risk for emotion dysregulation, and emotion regulation skills may be one area for intervention.

The mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and mindfulness in patients with type 2 diabetes

IntroductionThis study aimed to examine the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and mindfulness in patients with type 2 diabetes. MethodsThe research was conducted by correlation method) using Structural Equation Modeling). The statistical population consisted of all women and men with type 2 diabetes. Two hundred fifty-three samples were selected by convenience sampling method. The participants responded to the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Kentucky inventory of mindfulness skills, and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory. ResultsThe results showed that the total path coefficient between the adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and mindfulness (β = 0.243, P = 0.005) was positive and significant, and the total path coefficient between the maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and mindfulness (β = −0.453, P = 0.001) was negative and significant. The path coefficient between cognitive flexibility and mindfulness (β = 0.273, P = 0.009) was positive and significant. The indirect path coefficient between the adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and mindfulness (β = 0.094, P = 0.007) was positive and significant, and the indirect path coefficient between the maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and mindfulness (β = −0.117, P = 0.009) was negative and significant. ConclusionImproving emotion regulation skills increases cognitive flexibility and mindfulness in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Longitudinal association between self-compassion and intuitive eating: Testing emotion regulation and body image flexibility as mediating variables.

Growing evidence suggests that intuitive eating is associated with numerous positive mental health and well-being constructs. Understanding factors that predict intuitive eating is necessary for identifying practical targets to enhance this style of eating, yet research identifying such predictors is scarce. Self-compassion is one variable that could enhance intuitive eating because it involves the practice of healthy emotion regulation skills that may disrupt the tendency to turn to food to cope during distressing situations. The present study tested for a longitudinal association between self-compassion and intuitive eating. We also tested whether this association was mediated by indices of emotion regulation (i.e., global emotion regulation skill scores and body image flexibility). Adult women (n = 3039) were invited to completed study measures at baseline (T1), 4-month follow-up (T2), and 8-month follow-up (T3). Path analyses were computed to test hypothesized indirect effects. A direct path from T1 self-compassion to T3 intuitive eating emerged, such that higher self-compassion levels predicted increased intuitive eating over time. However, this association was not mediated by T2 emotion regulation skills nor body image flexibility. Findings suggest that self-compassion may facilitate an intuitive eating style, which does not appear to be explained by certain emotion regulation skills.

Innovation: Behavioral Health Skills Training for Families of Space Travelers

With the evolution of space travel to more frequently include civilian space travelers, there is an emerging need for behavioral health skills training for longer missions. There may be utility in using the analog of military deployments. One such model is Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS), a family-centered evidence-based resilience training program that has been implemented at military installations for the last fifteen years. FOCUS is designed to enhance family cohesion and strengthen parent–child, marital, and co-parenting relationships and improve emotion regulation, communication, problem-solving, and goal-setting skills across the family. Research results reveal that both parents and children from military families participating in FOCUS demonstrate significant improvement in emotional and behavioral adjustment, reducing their risk of developing anxiety, depression, or other behavioral disturbances by half. It has also demonstrated efficacy in the tele-delivery model, allowing for implementation for families who are separated due to trainings and missions.

The Effect of Preschool Teachers' Emotion Regulation Skills and Levels of Cognitive Flexibility on Classroom Management

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of emotion regulation skills and cognitive flexibility levels on preschool teachers' choice of classroom management strategies. 211 preschool teachers participate in the research, which uses the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. Emotion Regulation Difficulty Scale, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, Classroom Management Strategies Scale are used in the research. As a result of the research, it is determined that preschool teachers' emotion regulation and cognitive flexibility levels are high and that they can control their emotions better when their professional experience increases and that the cognitive flexibility of experienced ones who are new to the profession is better. In addition, it is seen that preventive and problem-oriented strategies are at a high level in classroom management and that their supportive strategies are at a moderate level. In addition, it is determined that awareness levels from emotion regulation difficulties and control levels from cognitive flexibility are effective on supportive and problem-oriented classroom management strategies, but not on preventive strategies.

Assessing the Potential of Robotics Technology for Enhancing Educational for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Robotics technology has been increasingly used as an educational and intervention tool for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there remain research issues and challenges that need to be addressed to fully realize the potential benefits of robot-assisted therapy. This systematic review categorizes and summarizes the literature related to robot educational/training interventions and provides a conceptual framework for collecting and classifying these articles. The challenges identified in this review are classified into four levels: robot-level, algorithm-level, experimental-research-level, and application-level challenges. The review highlights possible future research directions and offers crucial insights for researchers interested in using robots in therapy. The most relevant findings suggest that robot-assisted therapy has the potential to improve social interaction, communication, and emotional regulation skills in children with ASD. Addressing these challenges and seeking new research avenues will be critical to advancing the field of robot-assisted therapy and improving outcomes for children with ASD. This study serves as a roadmap for future research in this important area.

Autonomic reactivity during acute social stress: exploratory investigation of an interaction by threat interpretation bias and emotion regulation difficulties

ABSTRACT Objective: This preliminary study examined the interactive influences of interpretation bias and emotion dysregulation in predicting autonomic stress response. Methods: Participants (N = 72 college students; ages 18–25, 70% female, 47% Hispanic/Latinx), completed a performance-based assessment of threat interpretation bias and self-report measures of emotion regulation difficulties. Electrodermal activity (EDA; skin conductance level) was collected while participants completed a standardized psychosocial stressor task. Results: Interpretation bias and emotion regulation difficulties interacted to predict EDA trajectories (β = 0.054, SE = .001, CI:.007, .002, p < .001) during acute stress: presence of either interpretation bias toward threat (β = 6.950, SE = 2.826, CI: 1.407, 12.488, p = .013) or emotion regulation difficulties (β = 9.387, SE = 3.685, CI: 2.141, 16.636, p = .011) was associated with greater reactivity and poorer recovery; presence of both was associated with the lowest resting state EDA and blunted reactivity (β = 1.340, SE = 3.085, CI: −4.721, 7.407, p = .66). Conclusions: Preliminary findings support interpretation bias and emotion regulation difficulties, and their distinct interactive patterns, as predictors of autonomic reactivity trajectories during stress. Interpretation bias modification and emotion regulation skills may be important intervention targets for common psychological conditions that are influenced by aberrant psychophysiological processes.

EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AND PARENTS' COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY, EMOTION REGULATION SKILLS

This study aims to examine the parent-child relationship of the parents having primary education level students in the context of parents' cognitive flexibility level and emotion regulation skills. The participants of the research consist of parents who live in Kartal district of İstanbul and have students of primary education. The sample consists of 203 student's parents who have these characteristics. In the study, "personal information form", "parent-child relationship scale", "cognitive flexibility inventory" and "emotion regulation difficulty scale" were used for parents. In this study, the relational survey model which is one of the quantitative research types was used. As a result of the research it was determined that the level of positive parent-child relationship is high, the level of negative parent-child relationship is low, the level of emotion regulation difficulty of the parents is low, the level of cognitive flexibility is high. It was also determined that the level of cognitive flexibility showed significant differences according to the number of children, and parents with one child had a higher level of cognitive flexibility than parents with more than one child. In addition, it was determined that the negative parent-child relationship showed significant differences according to education level, and the level of negative parent-child relationship was higher in parents who graduated from higher education compared to parents who graduated from high school. At the same time, a positive relationship was determined between the level of cognitive flexibility in the parents and the positive parent-child relationship, and a negative relationship between the negative parent-child relationship was determined. Finally, it was determined that there is a negative correlation between the level of emotion regulation difficulty and positive parent-child relationships and a significant positive correlation between negative parent-child relationships.

Does an Internet-Based Emotion Regulation Intervention Provide Added Value for Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Care? Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

There is a lack of studies on internet-based interventions in inpatient settings. This is especially true for studies of internet-based interventions in acute psychiatric inpatient care. Internet-based interventions in this specific setting may provide benefits such as patient empowerment and overall improved treatment outcomes. However, there may also be specific barriers to their implementation that are unique due to the complexity of acute psychiatric inpatient care. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility and preliminary evidence for effectiveness of a web-based emotion regulation intervention provided as an add-on to acute psychiatric inpatient care. The goal is to randomly allocate 60 patients with a range of different diagnoses in a 1:1 ratio to either treatment as usual (TAU), which consists of acute psychiatric inpatient treatment, or to the intervention group, which will receive TAU plus access to a web-based intervention that focuses on reduction of emotion regulation difficulties and improvement of emotion regulation skills. The primary outcome is symptom severity, assessed with the short form of the Brief Symptom Inventory at baseline, after 4 weeks, after 8 weeks, and at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes include 2 emotion regulation parameters, intervention use, usability, patient satisfaction, and reasons for patient loss to follow-up. Participant recruitment started in August 2021 and as of March 2023 was ongoing. First publication of study results is expected in 2024. This study protocol describes a study that intends to examine a web-based emotion regulation intervention in acute psychiatric inpatient care. The study will provide information on the feasibility of the intervention and possible effects on symptom severity and emotion regulation. The results will provide new insights on blended treatment, in this case the combination of a web-based intervention and face-to-face psychiatric treatment, in an understudied patient group and setting. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04990674; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04990674. DERR1-10.2196/47656.

A Transtheoretical Model and Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Case Report

Dissociative identity disorder is the most severe of the dissociative disorders and neither the trauma model nor the sociocognitive model provide a satisfactory account of its complexity. Transtheoretical models propose an interaction of traumatic experiences as well as cultural, cognitive, and social factors in the development of the disorder. This perspective has important implications for the treatment which should encompass a reprocessing of traumatic memories, emotional regulation skills, and a modification of dysfunctional beliefs about memory. An elaboration of dissociative identities should be prevented. A corresponding inpatient treatment approach is described.