Self-report Measures Of Emotion Dysregulation Research Articles

Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Callous-Unemotional Traits: The Role of Guilt Across Samples of Incarcerated Male Adult Offenders

ABSTRACT The study aimed to: (1) analyze differences between psychopathic and non-psychopathic offenders in terms of difficulties in emotion regulation and callous-unemotional traits, (2) investigate the association between difficulties in emotion regulation and callous-unemotional traits among psychopathic and non-psychopathic offenders, and (3) examine the mediation role of guilt in the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and callous-unemotional traits among non-psychopathic offenders, controlling for the level of desirable responses. The participants were 191 incarcerated male adult offenders serving their sentences in closed and semi-open custody. The incarcerated offenders participated in a semi-structured interview and completed self-report measures of emotion dysregulation, guilt, callous-unemotional traits, and social desirability. According to the results on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, 60 (27.9%) participants were included in the psychopathic group, while 131 (60.9%) were non-psychopathic. The results showed a positive relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation, callousness, and psychopathy. The multiple regression analysis indicated that guilt contributed to the variance of callousness. Guilt was a mediator in the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and callousness among the group of non-psychopathic incarcerated offenders. The current study highlighted the importance of guilt as an adaptive moral emotion useful in the treatment of several psychological problems among male offenders.

A multi-method assessment of emotional processes predicting longitudinal anxiety symptom trajectories in an adolescent clinical sample

ObjectiveEmotion recognition, reactivity, and regulation are important in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Whether and how these processes differentiate between different trajectories in anxiety remain unclear. The current study examined emotional processes as prospective predictors of anxiety symptom trajectories in psychiatrically hospitalized youth. MethodParticipants were 180 adolescents (Mage = 14.89; SD = 1.35) from a psychiatric inpatient unit. At index hospitalization, participants completed a behavioral task assessing facial emotion recognition, and self-report measures of emotion dysregulation and reactivity. They completed a self-report measure on anxiety symptoms at baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 18 months post-discharge. Latent growth curve analysis was conducted to identify subgroups of individuals based upon their trajectory of anxiety symptoms across 18-months. ANOVAs were used to examine subgroup differences in emotional processing variables. ResultsThree distinct trajectories were identified, a stable moderate-to-high anxiety group, a group with moderate-to-high anxiety at baseline with symptom improvement over time, and a group characterized by relatively stable low-to-moderate anxiety throughout the study. The two initially moderate-to-high anxiety groups scored higher for emotion dysregulation and emotion reactivity at baseline compared to the low-to-moderate anxiety group. Emotion regulation difficulties relating to emotional non-acceptance were higher for the stable moderate-to-high anxiety group than for the moderate-to-high anxiety group that experience symptom improvement over time. ConclusionsThese findings may have clinical implications for discharge planning. Future studies should explore emotion regulation with a focus on non-acceptance of one’s emotional experiences as a potential target of intervention in individuals with elevated anxiety.

The Role of Emotion Dysregulation in Heightened Alcohol Craving Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Symptoms

Objective: Compared to their male counterparts, women with alcohol use disorders (AUD) alone and those with symptoms of co-occurring emotional disorders (posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD, and depression) are particularly likely to have increased alcohol craving in response to negative affect and daily stressors. Emotion dysregulation is one transdiagnostic construct that may underlie heightened craving in response to stress within this population. In a secondary data analysis, the current study examined emotion dysregulation as a mediator of the associations of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depression symptoms with heightened stress-induced alcohol craving, as measured in the lab. Given the overlap in symptoms, the relative associations of PTSD and depression symptom clusters with stress-induced craving were explored. Method: 50 women Veterans (84% White, 88% Non-Hispanic, Mage=45.68) attended two in-lab sessions. Self-report measures of emotion dysregulation, PTSD, and depression symptoms were administered at baseline. During session two, participants reported on alcohol craving and negative affect at baseline and again after a personalized stress induction procedure. Results: Emotion dysregulation mediated the association of greater PTSS with heightened stress-induced craving, although emotion dysregulation was not a mediator of the association between depression and stress-induced craving. Greater alcohol craving after the stress induction was positively associated with cognitive-affective symptoms in PTSD and depression (and not with other symptom clusters of these diagnoses, e.g., avoidance, somatic-vegetative symptoms). Conclusions: Emotion dysregulation may be a transdiagnostic factor that helps to explain greater alcohol cravings and drinking in stressful contexts among women Veterans with heightened symptoms of co-occurring emotional disorders.

A Non-randomized Trial of Kundalini Yoga for Emotion Regulation within an After-school Program for Adolescents

Adolescence is a critical age for developing difficulties with emotion regulation and other psychosocial problems. Yoga programs implemented in schools may be a promising method of intervention, as previous research suggests that they improve emotion regulation and other psychological outcomes in adolescents. This study examined the effects of the Kundalini Yoga-based Y.O.G.A for Youth (Y4Y) after-school program on adolescents’ self-reported emotion dysregulation and psychological functioning. A sample of 119 students, ages 11–14, was recruited through after-school programs for middle school students in the North Carolina school system. Within four public schools, participants participated in 6 weeks of either the Y4Y after-school program (n = 52), or an alternate activity (n = 66) and completed self-report measures of emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, stress and mindfulness before and after the 6 weeks. Results from this study suggest that the students who participated in the Y4Y program reported significant decreases in emotion dysregulation over the 6-week program. They also reported significant decreases in anger, depression and fatigue over one yoga session. Students in the comparison condition only reported significant decreases in fatigue over one session of the program but reported no significant changes in any of the other outcomes. Results from exploratory between-subject analyses also suggested that the Y4Y program’s impact on depression, stress and anxiety depended on the school setting in which they were implemented. These findings suggest that the Y4Y program improved emotion dysregulation in adolescent students. However, some of its benefits may be influenced by the school environment.

Eating in case of emotion dys-regulation, depression and anxiety: Different pathways to emotional eating in moderate and severe obesity.

Emotion dys-regulation is thought to be involved in the development and maintenance of emotional eating (EE), notably through its links with anxious and depressive symptoms. AIM: The aims of the study were to: (a) examine the mediating effect of depressive and anxious symptoms on the relationship between emotion dys-regulation and EE in obesity and (b) compare those links with various degrees of obesity severity. One hundred and twenty patients with obesity, including 60 with "n" (MO) (30 ≤ BMI < 40) and 60 with "severe obesity" (SO) (BMI > 40), completed self-report measures of emotion dys-regulation, depression, anxiety and EE. Partial least square structural equation modelling and multi-group analyses were performed. Emotion dys-regulation was found to be significantly associated with EE only when the severity of obesity was taken into account. In addition, although the MO and SO groups reported similar levels of emotional and eating disorders, significant differences were found between the groups in pathways leading to EE. In MO, emotion dys-regulation was only associated with more EE through more anxiety. In SO, emotion dys-regulation was both directly and indirectly associated with more EE, but only through more depression in the latter. Emotion dys-regulation, anxiety and depression do not have the same impact on EE depending on the severity of obesity. Psychotherapeutic interventions should aim at reducing emotion dys-regulation in obesity from MO onwards, but the focus should be on the management of anxiety-related affects in MO and depression-related affects in SO.

Emotion Dysregulation Prospectively Predicts Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity 3 Months After Trauma Exposure.

Despite growing evidence in support of emotion dysregulation as a risk factor for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma exposure, few studies have examined temporal relations between emotion dysregulation and the onset and/or worsening of PTSD symptoms over time. The aim of the present study was to extend research on temporal associations between emotion dysregulation and PTSD in a sample of individuals recruited from hospital emergency departments soon after a traumatic event. Adult participants (N = 85; 62.4% female) completed self-report measures of emotion dysregulation and PTSD symptoms within 2 weeks of experiencing a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD were assessed approximately 3 months posttrauma. The results of a hierarchical linear regression analysis demonstrated that the inclusion of emotion dysregulation accounted for a significant amount of unique variance, β = .23, ΔR2 = .04, p = .042, in 3-month PTSD symptom severity over and above other risk factors and baseline PTSD symptoms. No specific facet of emotion dysregulation emerged as a significant predictor of 3-month PTSD symptoms when all facets were included on the same step of the model, βs = -.04-.33, ps = .133-.954. These results demonstrate that posttraumatic emotion dysregulation may predict PTSD symptoms 3 months after trauma exposure. These findings are consistent with a growing body of literature that speaks to the relevance of emotional processes to the onset and maintenance of PTSD following exposure to a traumatic event.

Intergenerational Transmission of Emotion Dysregulation: The Role of Authoritarian Parenting Style and Family Chronic Stress

Although studies support a direct association between parent and child emotion regulation, little work has considered potential mechanisms, such as family context. For example, parents who have difficulty regulating their emotions may be more likely to adopt an authoritarian parenting style, especially under high family chronic stress, and this parenting style may then influence children’s development of emotion regulation. The current study examined authoritarian parenting style as a potential mechanism of the intergenerational transmission of emotion regulation. We also examined how maternal emotion regulation and family chronic stress interact to influence parenting behaviors. A total of 218 mother-adolescent dyads (M age = 15.5 years, 55% female) were recruited from the community and assessed using a mix of self-report measures of emotion dysregulation and parenting style, and interview-based measures of family chronic stress. Results showed maternal emotion dysregulation predicted authoritarian parenting style that, in turn, predicted adolescent emotion dysregulation, with a significant indirect effect. Family chronic stress strengthened the association between maternal emotion dysregulation and authoritarian parenting style, such that the indirect effect of maternal emotion regulation on adolescent emotion regulation via authoritarian parenting style was stronger at high levels of chronic stress. Results suggest that authoritarian parenting style and family chronic stress serve as important factors in the intergenerational transmission of emotion regulation.

A pilot open series of lamotrigine in DBT-treated eating disorders characterized by significant affective dysregulation and poor impulse control

BackgroundThere is little effective psychopharmacological treatment for individuals with eating disorders who struggle with pervasive, severe affective and behavioral dysregulation.MethodsThis pilot open series evaluated lamotrigine, a mood stabilizer, in the treatment of patients with eating disorders who did not respond adequately to antidepressant medications. Nine women with anorexia nervosa- or bulimia nervosa-spectrum eating disorders in partial hospital or intensive outpatient dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)-based eating disorder treatment took lamotrigine for 147 ± 79 days (mean final dose = 161.1 ± 48.6 mg/day). Participants completed standardized self-report measures of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity after lamotrigine initiation and approximately biweekly thereafter. Mood and eating disorder symptomatology were measured at lamotrigine initiation and at time of final assessment.ResultsLamotrigine and concurrent DBT were associated with large reductions in self-reported affective and behavioral dysregulation (ps < 0.01). Eating disorder and mood symptoms decreased moderately.ConclusionsAlthough our findings are limited by the confounds inherent in an open series, lamotrigine showed initial promise in reducing emotional instability and behavioral impulsivity in severely dysregulated eating-disordered patients. These preliminary results support further investigation of lamotrigine for eating disorders in rigorous controlled trials.

Changes in attachment organization, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal problems among women in treatment for abuse

ABSTRACTObjective: Women who have experienced childhood abuse often have interpersonal difficulties. The current study examines whether changes in emotion dysregulation mediate the relationship between changes in attachment patterns and changes in interpersonal problems among women who completed treatment for the sequelae of childhood abuse.Method: Participants were 36 women who completed a program targeting the psychological consequences of childhood maltreatment. At pre-and posttreatment, participants completed a projective assessment of adult attachment, and self-report measures of emotion dysregulation and interpersonal problems.Results: Changes in emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between shifts toward resolved attachment and changes in interpersonal problems. Compared to participants who maintained their pretreatment attachment patterns, those who shifted toward a resolved pattern became significantly more able to clarify and describe their emotions. Improvements in these abilities were associated with decreased problems with being nonassertive, overly accommodating, self-sacrificing, and socially inhibited. Additionally, improvements in emotional clarity uniquely mediated the relationship between shifts to resolved attachment and reductions in problems with being domineering and intrusive. Moreover, decreased difficulty describing feelings uniquely mediated the relationship between shifts to resolved attachment and decreases in problems with being cold.Conclusions: Among women who complete treatment for the sequelae of childhood abuse, shifts to resolved attachment were indirectly related to decreases in interpersonal problems through improved emotional processing.

Emotion dysregulation and autonomic responses to film, rumination, and body awareness: Extending psychophysiological research to a naturalistic clinical setting and a chemically dependent female sample.

Substance use is a complex clinical problem characterized by emotion dysregulation and daily challenges that can interfere with laboratory research. Thus, few psychophysiological studies examine autonomic and self-report measures of emotion dysregulation with multidiagnostic, chemically dependent samples or extend this work into naturalistic settings. In this study, we used a within-subject design to examine changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), electrodermal activity (EDA), and self-reported affect across three tasks designed to elicit distinct psychophysiological and emotional response patterns. We also examined emotion dysregulation as a moderator of psychophysiological responses. Participants include 116 women with multiple comorbid mental health conditions enrolled in substance use treatment, many of whom also reported high emotion dysregulation. Participants were assessed in the treatment setting and completed three tasks: watching a sad movie clip, rumination on a stressful event, and a mindful interoceptive awareness meditation. Multilevel models were used to examine changes from resting baselines to the tasks. During the film, results indicate a significant decrease in RSA and an increase in EDA. For the rumination task, participants showed a decrease in RSA but no EDA response. For the body awareness task, there was an increase in RSA and a decrease in EDA. Emotion dysregulation was associated with differences in baseline RSA but not with EDA or with the slope of response patterns across tasks. Self-reported affect was largely consistent with autonomic patterns. Findings add to the literature on emotion dysregulation, substance use, and the translation of psychophysiological measurements into clinical settings with complex samples.

Emotional dysregulation, internalizing symptoms, and self-injurious and suicidal behavior: Structural equation modeling analysis

ABSTRACTThis study used structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between emotion dysregulation, internalizing symptoms, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicide. One hundred forty-eight undergraduates completed a brief structured interview and self-report measures of emotion dysregulation, internalizing symptoms, and NSSI and suicidal behaviors. Results indicated a significant indirect effect of emotion dysregulation on NSSI via internalizing symptoms and on suicide attempts via NSSI. Findings provide a more nuanced understanding of the indirect association between emotion dysregulation and NSSI and suicidal behaviors. Implications for the potential utility of targeting internalizing symptoms as well as emotion dysregulation in interventions addressing NSSI and suicidal behaviors are discussed.

The Role of Emotional Nonacceptance in the Relation between Depression and Recent Cigarette Smoking

Evidence that smokers have heightened depressive symptoms and report smoking in response to negative affect has led to an interest in mindfulness- and acceptance-based strategies to help smokers respond more adaptively to depressive symptoms. More research is needed to examine the role of emotional nonacceptance (ie, the tendency to judge or negatively evaluate one's emotions) in the relation between depression and smoking, particularly among populations with elevated smoking rates (eg, individuals with substance use disorders). This study examined the mediating role of emotional nonacceptance in the relation between depression and smoking among 125 smokers in residential substance abuse treatment. Participants (mean age = 35 ± 10; 60% male; 63% White) reported how many cigarettes they smoked in the past hour and completed self-report measures of emotion dysregulation (including nonacceptance) and depression. Major depressive disorder was assessed through clinical interview. Results supported the hypothesized relevance of emotional nonacceptance to recent smoking. Specifically, emotional nonacceptance was the only dimension of emotion dysregulation uniquely associated with recent smoking and mediated the relationship between depression and recent smoking. Results suggest that depression may interfere with emotional acceptance, increasing urges to smoke to escape negative affect. Targeting emotional nonacceptance may improve smoking cessation treatments for depressed individuals.