Role Of Emotion Regulation Difficulties Research Articles

Loneliness and problematic pornography Use: What is the role of emotion regulation and interaction with content Creators?

Problematic pornography use is a growing area of interest necessitating a deeper understanding of its contributing factors. Loneliness and emotion regulation difficulties have been advanced as factors that may exacerbate or perpetuate PPU, however, to date, researchers typically consider these factors in isolation. In addition, the evolving landscape of problematic pornography is further shaped by the emergence of pornography content creators. This study explores the relationships between loneliness, emotion regulation difficulties and problematic pornography use and individuals’ interactions with pornography content creators. Specifically, we examine whether emotion regulation difficulties mediate the relationship between loneliness and PPU and whether this mediation is contingent on interactions with content creators. A total of 213 adults (Mage = 35.57 years, SD = 16.90; 77.50 % men) participants completed an online questionnaire assessing PPU, emotion regulation difficulties and loneliness. Results revealed loneliness is associated with increased PPU and emotion regulation difficulties. Emotion regulation difficulties, in turn, relate to PPU. Though interaction with pornographic content creators was associated with reduced PPU, interacting with content creators did not moderate the effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between loneliness and PPU. Our findings support the hypothesised model, suggesting that emotion regulation difficulties mediate the relationship between loneliness and PPU. The identified mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties provides a foundation for further investigations into the underlying mechanisms connecting emotional well-being and problematic pornography use, offering potential directions for future research.

Investigation of the role of difficulty in emotion regulation in the relationship between attachment styles and binge eating disorder

AbstractAttachment and emotion regulation affect various aspects of an individual’s life throughout the lifespan and into adulthood, and are known to be associated with various psychopathologies. Based on a review of the literature, attachment styles and the management of negative emotions have a significant role in the development and maintenance of Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Previous studies have found that insecure attachment styles increase the risk of developing BED, but the role of emotion regulation difficulties has not been assessed. The aim of the current study is to examine the role of emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between insecure attachment styles and symptoms of BED. The sample of the current study consisted of 364 participants (238 females, 126 males) aged 18–65 years (M = 35.27, SD = 10.00) residing in different provinces of Turkey. Sociodemographic information form, Binge Eating Disorder Scale (BEDS), Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-16), and Inventory of Experiences in Close Relationships-2 were administered to the participants. The results of the present study showed that difficulties in emotion regulation played a mediating role in the relationship between symptoms of BED and avoidant and anxious attachment styles. The results of the current study highlight the importance of clinicians assessing attachment styles and emotion regulation difficulties, examining the interaction of these variables together, and providing interventions accordingly when faced with symptoms of BED.

Lack of Identity and Suicidality: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties.

Identity disturbance has been connected to both psychological distress and suicidality, and associated with emotion dysregulation. However, despite empirical evidence of a relationship between lack of identity and poor psychiatric outcomes, the link between impaired identity and emotion dysregulation in suicide risk remains underexplored, particularly among individuals seeking outpatient mental health services. Using data from a large clinical sample (n = 246), the present study examined the association between lack of identity and suicidality and the role of emotion dysregulation within this process. Findings indicated that the mediation model was significant, with emotion regulation difficulties significantly mediating the association between lack of identity and future suicidal behavior. Furthermore, the indirect effect of lack of identity on anticipated suicidality remained significant beyond general distress and past suicide attempt. Our findings add to the literature examining the complex relationship among lack of identity, emotion regulation, and suicidality.

Effects of Relationship-Centered Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation on Psychological Well-Being in Young Adults

This study aims to examine the relationships between emotion regulation difficulties, relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and psychological well-being. The study's second objective is to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms and psychological well-being. The participants comprised 191 individuals (152 females and 39 males) aged 18 to 25 (M=21.96, SD=1.78) who lived in Turkey and had been in a romantic relationship for at least one month between 2021 and 2022. In the study, participants were administered a Personal Information Form, the Short Form of the Emotion Regulation Difficulties Scale, the Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, and the Multidimensional Psychological Well-Being Scale. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties. Moreover, a significant negative relationship was found between emotion regulation difficulties and relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms and psychological well-being. Additionally, the variables were found to significantly predict psychological well-being in a negative direction, explaining 22% of the variance. According to the mediation analysis, emotion regulation difficulties play a partial mediating role in the relationship between relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive symptoms and psychological well-being. This study is expected to contribute to understanding the etiology and treatment of romantic relationship-centered obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A Study of Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Repetitive Negative Thinking, and Experiential Avoidance in Adults with Stuttering: A Comparative Study.

Objective: Stuttering is a type of communication and fluency disorder that hurts mental and emotional health. It is also associated with a significant increase in both trait and social anxiety. Studies on stuttering in adults have indicated the nature and impact of this phenomenon. In addition, some psychological aspects of this phenomenon remain vague and need further investigation. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare emotion regulation difficulties, repetitive negative thinking, and experiential avoidance between people who stutter and healthy individuals. Method : In this study, 101 people who stutter (43 females and 58 males, with a mean age of 29.55 ± 187 years), as well as 110 healthy individuals (74 females and 36 males, with a mean age of 25.57 ± 489 years) as participants were chosen using the convenience sampling method among those who referred to the speech therapy clinics of Tehran, Iran. Research instruments including the repetitive negative thinking inventory, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-I) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using multivariate ANOVA test and Multiple Regression Analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.55 years in the people who stutter and 25.57 years in the healthy individuals (P < 0.01). The present results indicated that the mean score of experiential avoidance was higher in the people who stutter (M ± SD: 35.74 ± 9.24) compared to the healthy individuals (M ± SD: 8.89 ± 31.11). Additionally, the mean score of emotion regulation difficulties was higher in the people who stutter (M ± SD: 88.75 ± 20.59) compared to the healthy individuals (M ± SD: 64.14 ± 94.94) (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the mean score of repetitive negative thinking between the people who stutter (M ± SD: 98.45 ± 25.85) and healthy individuals (M ± SD: 93.71 ± 25.24) groups (P > 0.05). There was a significant correlation between experiential avoidance and emotion regulation difficulties in people who stutter (P < 0.01). Experiential avoidance and repetitive negative thinking can significantly predict emotion regulation difficulties in people who stutter (R = 0.65, P < 0.01). Conclusion: People who stutter obtained higher emotion regulation difficulties and experiential avoidance scores than those without stuttering and A significant correlation between experiential avoidance and emotion regulation difficulties was found. Future studies should consider the role of emotion regulation difficulties and experiential avoidance in people who stutter.

PTSD Symptom Severity and Alcohol Use among Firefighters: The Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties

Objective Heightened rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and alcohol use have been documented among firefighters. Emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) are clinically relevant to both PTSD and alcohol use. Few studies have examined the role of ERD in the association of PTSD symptoms with alcohol use severity and alcohol use motives among firefighters. Thus, the present investigation examined the indirect effect of PTSD symptom severity on alcohol use severity and alcohol use motives through ERD. Methods The sample was comprised of 685 firefighters (Mage = 38.65, SD = 8.57, 93.6% male) recruited from an urban fire department in the southern U.S. to complete an online survey. Indirect effects were calculated using 10,000 bootstrapped samples. Effects were examined after accounting for years of fire service, occupational stress, trauma load (i.e., number of traumatic event types experienced); in models evaluating alcohol use motives as outcomes, other alcohol use motives (i.e., alternate motives subscales) were included as additional covariates. Results First, ERD explained the association of PTSD symptom severity with alcohol use coping motives (β = .01, SE = .003, 95% CI [.004-.01]). Furthermore, ERD did not significantly account for the association of PTSD symptom severity with alcohol use severity (β = .02, SE = .01, 95% CI [-.004-.04]), alcohol use enhancement motives (β = −.003, SE = .002, 95%CI [-.007-.000]), alcohol use social motives (β = .004, SE = .002, 95% CI [-.000-.01]), or alcohol use conformity motives (β = −.002, SE = .002, 95% CI [-.006-.02]). Conclusions Results demonstrated that, among firefighters, PTSD symptom severity is positively related to alcohol use coping motives through heightened ERD. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

Reconceptualizing emotion regulation and coping strategy usage in eating disorders research: The utility of a regulatory flexibility framework.

Emotion regulation and coping strategies are often conceptualized in eating disorder (ED) research as inherently adaptive or maladaptive, and successful regulation is often defined as greater overall use of adaptive strategies. However, recent empirical work outside of the field of EDs challenges this categorical conceptualization of strategies, demonstrating that adaptiveness is determined by the ability to flexibly implement and adjust strategies based on contextual demands (i.e., regulatory flexibility). Despite evidence that emotion regulation and coping strategies are best conceptualized in terms of flexibility in the broader literature, few ED studies have adopted this model. We review the current conceptual framework of emotion regulation and coping strategies used in ED research and present regulatory flexibility as an alternative approach to conceptualizing these strategies. The lack of research on regulatory flexibility among individuals with EDs limits our understanding of the role of emotion regulation and coping difficulties in ED risk and maintenance. Adopting a regulatory flexibility model of strategies in EDs may extend knowledge of the role of emotion regulation difficulties in the development and maintenance of EDs. We highlight the potential utility of investigating regulatory flexibility and present recommendations for future research on regulatory flexibility in EDs. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Research on emotion regulation and coping strategy usage in eating disorders often view regulatory strategies as inherently adaptive or maladaptive. However, recent studies support defining strategies in terms of flexibility. Adopting a regulatory flexibility model of strategies in eating disorders research may advance knowledge of the role of emotion regulation difficulties in the development and maintenance of eating disorders, ultimately enhancing prevention and treatment efforts.

The Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Intrusive and Deliberate Rumination in the Association Between Insecure Attachment and Prolonged Grief.

This study investigated the role of emotion regulation difficulties and intrusive/deliberate rumination in the relationship between insecure attachment and prolonged grief symptoms. A total sample of 342 bereaved participants was included in the study. Both anxious and avoidant attachment styles were found to be associated with prolonged grief symptoms, with an avoidant attachment showing a stronger effect. Emotion regulation difficulties and rumination mediated the relationships between attachment styles and prolonged grief symptoms, supporting the proposed mediation model. The study identified specific mediating pathways for anxious and avoidant attachment styles. Additionally, female gender, higher age, unexpected death, and closeness of the relationship with the deceased were significant predictors of prolonged grief symptoms.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties, Family Functioning, and Well-Being Involved in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Risk in Adolescents and Young People with Borderline Personality Traits

Individuals with a borderline personality disorder (BPD) or BPD traits usually have a lifetime history of harmful behaviors. Emotion regulation difficulties are a risk factor for suicide, whereas adequate family functioning and well-being play an important protective role. This study aims to determine the role of emotion regulation difficulties, well-being, and family functioning in the suicide risk and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents and young people with BPD traits. From a sample of 285 young people, 103 (36.1%) had BPD traits (mean age = 16.82, SD = 2.71), and 68.93% were females. The results showed significant differences in personal and family variables according to the type of harmful behavior. Suicide attempts (SA) were mainly predicted by difficulties in impulse control, whereas NSSI was predicted by low family satisfaction. Programs designed to prevent SA and NSSI should consider individual differences, as well as the type of harmful behaviors exhibited.

Temel İhtiyaç Doyumu ve Kendini Bağışlama: Duygu Düzenleme Güçlüğünün Aracı Rolü

Though the concept of self-forgiveness has received much attention within the empirical literature lately, the explanations of the antecedents of the construct still remain limited. The purpose of the current study is to broaden the limits of self-forgiveness and to provide a better understanding regarding of the process. In this study, the relationship between basic psychological needs and self-forgiveness through the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties was examined. The model provides a novel perspective for understanding self-forgiveness through the Self-Determination Theory. The sample consists of 451 university students (365 females and 86 males) between the ages 19 to 28 who completed questionnaires assessing tendencies of self-forgiveness, basic need satisfaction, and emotion regulation difficulties. Results indicate that emotion regulation difficulties partially mediate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and self-forgiveness. Consistent with our model, results reveal that as the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs increases, emotion regulation difficulties diminish, which results in an increase in self-forgiveness.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Driving Styles: A Moderated Mediation Analysis Linking Forgivingness, Emotion Regulation Difficulties, and Driving Styles

Although various factors contributing to driving styles have been studied in recent decades, cultural differences have received little attention. Both emotion regulation difficulties and trait forgivingness have been found to be associated with driving styles, but the role of culture in these associations has not been yet explored. The current study seeks to understand the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties in the association between trait forgivingness and driving styles and whether this relationship differs in different cultures. To this end, a moderated mediation model was developed and tested among 823 drivers from Israel (n = 287), Turkey (n = 329), and the USA (n = 207). The participants completed the Forgivingness Scale, Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and background details. The moderated mediation analysis was conducted using model 59 in the PROCESS macro developed by Hayes and Preacher (2013). The results show significant differences in all driving styles between the study groups. In addition, the mediation model for the angry and hostile and the reckless and careless driving styles was found to apply only to certain countries. The study highlights cultural differences and their importance in understanding the association between emotional processes and driving styles and the need to design culturally sensitive interventions.

Goal motives in depression and anxiety: the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties

ABSTRACT Objectives Goal orientation (approach versus avoidance) and difficulties in emotion regulation have been independently associated with depression and anxiety. However, there is a lack of research that has simultaneously examined approach and avoidance goal motives and emotion regulation difficulties in depression and anxiety. The present study aims to draw together these separate lines of investigation to better understand the nature of depression and anxiety from a motivational and emotional regulation perspective. Specifically, it aims to investigate whether increased emotion regulation difficulties indirectly mediate, in part, distinct relationships between approach and avoidance goal motives and depressive and anxious symptoms. Method An online study comprised 210 participants recruited via Facebook and MTurk. Participants completed self-reported measures to rate their approach and avoidance goal motives, emotion regulation and depressive and anxious symptoms. Results Counter to prediction, no significant relationship was demonstrated between impaired approach motives and increased depressive symptoms. However, as predicted, avoidance goal motives were associated with depressive and anxious symptoms. Further, increased emotion regulation difficulties indirectly mediated relationships between avoidance goal motives and both depressive and anxious symptoms. Conclusion Our findings indicate that emotion regulation difficulties play a significant role in explaining the relationship between avoidance (but not approach) oriented motives in goal pursuit and emotional symptom.

The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties in the Relationship Between Eating Attitudes and Depressive Symptoms

The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties in the Relationship Between Eating Attitudes and Depressive Symptoms

Maladaptive Cognitive Schemas as Predictors of Disordered Eating: Examining the Indirect Pathway through Emotion Regulation Difficulties.

A scarcity of research has looked into the association of maladaptive core beliefs with dysfunctional eating patterns. Moreover, no prior study has considered the potential role of difficulties in negative emotion regulation when disentangling the complex correlations between early maladaptive schemas and disturbed eating habits. Our study aimed at exploring the distinct relationships between early maladaptive schemas and disordered eating, while investigating the indirect role of emotion regulation difficulties within these associations. We collected data from 982 Lebanese young adults (18–30 years old), distributed across the five Lebanese governorates, who completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Young Schema Questionnaire—Short Form 3 (YSQ-SF3), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale—16 Item Version (DERS-16). The results showed that the disconnection and rejection schema domain, under which the early maladaptive schema of mistrust was the most predictive of disordered/inappropriate eating attitudes. All the remaining maladaptive schema domains (i.e., the impaired autonomy/performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, and overvigilance/inhibition schema domains) exerted significant indirect effects on disordered eating attitudes through difficulties in emotion regulation. Our findings gave prominence to a potential intrinsic mechanism through which maladaptive cognitive schemas are linked to disordered eating behaviors, emphasizing the role of emotion dysregulation as a cardinal actor within this model. They sustain the surmise that cognitively and emotionally vulnerable individuals exhibit stronger propensities for inappropriate dietary patterns, as a means to offset their inner weakness. This study broadens the medical community’s insights into the underpinning processes behind eating disorder psychopathology and could therefore make a step towards the adoption of innovative therapeutic approaches that promote emotion regulation skills in the context of schema therapy.

Childhood trauma and food addiction: The role of emotion regulation difficulties and gender differences

ObjectiveChildhood trauma has been associated with substance use disorders (SUDs), but less research has investigated its association with food addiction (i.e., compulsive intake of highly processed foods containing refined carbohydrates and/or added fat). Existing research on childhood trauma and food addiction has focused primarily on women from restricted samples. Further, emotion dysregulation difficulties are implicated in both childhood trauma and food addiction, but research has not explored whether it may play a mediating role. MethodThe current study utilizes a sample of 310 participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (mean age = 41.3 years old, 47.4% men, 78.7% white) to investigate the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the association between childhood trauma and food addiction. We also conducted exploratory analyses to investigate for gender differences in these associations. Gender-stratified correlational matrixes were conducted to investigate associations between childhood trauma, food addiction, and emotional dysregulation. Moderated mediation models and multilevel regressions were also conducted to identify the role of gender in the association between childhood trauma, food addiction, and emotion dysregulation. ResultsEmotion dysregulation was found to partially mediate the associations between food addiction and childhood trauma and gender was found to moderate associations between childhood trauma and emotion dysregulation, as well as childhood trauma and food addiction. Both moderating pathways were significantly stronger for men compared to women. DiscussionResults suggests that emotion dysregulation may be one important mediator in the association between childhood trauma and food addiction, particularly for men. The identification of other potential mechanisms contributing to the association between childhood trauma and food addiction and the use of longitudinal measurement strategies will be important in future research.

The mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties and experiential avoidance in the relationship between defense mechanisms and suicidal ideation in adolescents

The mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties and experiential avoidance in the relationship between defense mechanisms and suicidal ideation in adolescents

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Relationship Satisfaction among Firefighters: The Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties

ABSTRACT Firefighters are exposed to potentially traumatic events throughout their careers, placing them at heightened risk for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms often experience interpersonal problems and relationship stress, and this may be due to emotion regulation difficulties. The current study examined the association between PTSD symptoms, couple relationship satisfaction, and emotion regulation difficulties among firefighters. Participants were comprised of 188 firefighters (M age = 41.32, SD = 9.25, 97.3% male) who completed an online questionnaire. Results indicated that PTSD symptom severity was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction and positively associated with emotion regulation difficulties. Additionally, there was a significant negative indirect effect of PTSD symptom severity on relationship satisfaction through heightened emotion regulation difficulties. Negative alterations in cognition and mood were especially relevant to emotion regulation difficulties and relationship satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of understanding associations between PTSD and interpersonal functioning among firefighters. Emotion regulation difficulties may offer a clinically relevant transdiagnostic factor for targeting PTSD symptoms and relationship functioning among firefighters.

Self-compassion and complete perinatal mental health in women at high risk for postpartum depression: The mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties.

There is evidence suggesting that self-compassion is linked to key mechanisms in emotion regulation models of depression and anxiety. However, the majority of prior research has targeted community samples and overlooked the analysis of such mechanisms in relation to positive mental health. This study sought to examine the direct and indirect effects, via emotion regulation difficulties, of self-compassion on the complete mental health outcomes of women at high risk for postpartum depression (PPD). Cross-sectional, correlational study. The sample for this study comprised 1053 postpartum women presenting high risk for PPD, as determined by the clinical cut-off score obtained through the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised. The assessment protocol further included self-report measures of self-compassion, depression and anxiety symptoms, flourishing and emotion regulation difficulties. Correlation analyses were conducted to ascertain associations between variables, and path analysis was performed to examine direct and indirect effects. Difficulties in emotion regulation mediated the links between self-compassion and negative (distress) and positive (flourishing) mental health outcomes. The overall mediation model explained 48% and 39% of variance for psychological distress and flourishing/positive mental health respectively. These findings support the applicability of an emotion regulation model of self-compassion to women identified as being at high risk of developing PPD. Self-compassion interventions directed at these women are likely to decrease their levels of emotion dysregulation and to improve their complete mental health outcomes.

The Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties in the Relation Between Suicide Risk and the Quality of Life in Depressive Patients

This research is based on existing research in the literature referring to the relationship amongst emotion regulation difficulties, quality of life, depression and suicide risk in depressed patient. The main goal of this research is to identify the role of emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between suicide risk and quality of life in depressed patients. Data were collected using a general demographic questionnaire plus specific psychometric tests: Difficulties in emotional regulation scale (DERS-SF), Quality of life inventory (Qoli), Columbia suicide severity rating scale (C-SSRS), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS21-R). The study included 109 participants, aged 18 – 60 years ((M= 36, SD=12.75), 37 (33.9%) men and 72 (66.1%) women, 49 from a rural background (45%) and 60 from urban background (55%), 43 in the clinical group - patients with depression (39.4%) and 66 in the non-clinical group - controls (60.6%). The results reinforce all the hypotheses of the research and point out the role of emotion regulation difficulties in the relation between suicide risk and the quality of life in depressive patients. Thus, the level of depression, severity of suicide risk and emotion regulation difficulties negatively influence the quality of life. The research findings point out that emotion regulation difficulties should be taken into account when designing psychotherapy programs and protocols aiming at increasing the quality of life and reducing the risk of suicide in depressive patients.

Cumulative interpersonal childhood adversity and post-traumatic stress symptoms across heterosexual, cisgender and gender and sexually diverse adolescents: The mediating role of emotion regulation

BackgroundEmotion regulation has been identified as an explanatory factor in the association between interpersonal childhood adversity and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). However, most studies focused on adults or older adolescents, neglecting youth from the community, especially gender and sexually diverse (GSD) adolescents, who have a higher risk for exposure to adverse events and psychological difficulties, compared to their heterosexual, cisgender (HC) peers. ObjectiveThe present cross-sectional study aimed to examine the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties in the association between cumulative interpersonal childhood adversity and PTSS across HC and GSD adolescents. MethodsA sample of 2904 ninth grade students (Mage = 14.53, SD = 0.61) completed a self-report survey. Multigroup path analyses were conducted to examine the proposed mediation model in all groups, and comparisons were made using chi-square difference tests. ResultsGreater difficulties in emotion regulation mediated the association between greater cumulative interpersonal childhood adversity (β = 0.36, p < .001) and greater PTSS (β = 0.35, p < .001) – regardless of HC or GSD status – although the direct association between cumulative interpersonal childhood adversity and PTSS was significantly stronger among GSD boys (β = 0.36, p < .001) and GSD girls (β = 0.35, p < .001) than among HC boys (β = 0.21, p < .001) and HC girls (β = 0.25, p < .001). ConclusionsFindings offer a modifiable target for prevention and/or intervention among middle adolescents, as emotion regulation difficulties may partially explain the presence of PTSS following cumulative interpersonal childhood adversity.