Use Of Expressive Suppression Research Articles

Exploring emotion regulation mechanisms and attachment styles in individuals with childhood traum

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and attachment styles, as well as emotional regulation strategies. Data were collected using valid questionnaires examining Childhood Trauma Questionnaire by Bernstein & Fink (2003), Attachment Style scale by Becker & Gilbert (1997) and Emotion Regulation scale by Gross and John (2003). A sample of 150 participants aged 18 to 30 years was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlation tests. The analysis revealed a significant correlation between childhood trauma and the use of expressive suppression as an emotion regulation strategy. Individuals with trauma tended to rely more on suppression than cognitive reappraisal. Additionally, anxious and avoidant attachment styles were predominant among participants with childhood trauma, suggesting disruptions in attachment formation due to childhood trauma. In conclusion, childhood trauma significantly influences attachment styles and emotion regulation strategies in individuals.

Preadolescent Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: An Intensive Longitudinal Study of Risk Factors

Dramatic increases in rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) among youth highlight the need to pinpoint early risk factors. This study used intensive longitudinal sampling to assess what the concurrent associations were between risk factors and STB status, how proximal changes in risk factors were related to STB status, and how risk factors prospectively predicted changes in STB status in a preadolescent sample enriched for early childhood psychopathology. A total of 192 participants were included from the Study Y, a longitudinal study of children with and without preschool depression. Participants 7 to 12 years of age completed a diagnostic interview, followed by 12 months of intensive longitudinal sampling, assessing experiences of suicidal ideation and 11 psychosocial variables with known links to STBs in adolescents and adults. Preadolescents with STB history (high-risk) received surveys weekly, and those without STB history (lower-risk) received surveys monthly. Female sex, elevated depressive symptoms, greater use of expressive suppression and rumination, emotional clarity, and perceived burdensomeness were uniquely concurrently associated with the likelihood of STB endorsement. Within the high-risk group, (1) increases in depression, suppression, rumination, and perceived burdensomeness, and decreases in positive affect from weekt to weekt+1, were associated with a higher likelihood of a positive STB status at weekt+1; and (2) increased suppression, perceived burdensomeness, and caregiver criticism and conflict compared to participants' mean levels prospectively predicted increases in the likelihood of a positive STB report. Psychosocial factors influencing STBs in adolescents and adults also affect preadolescents in day-to-day life. Expressive suppression and perceived burdensomeness emerged as novel risk indicators and potential targets for treatment. In addition, increases in depression, rumination, and caregiver criticism and conflict, as well as decreases in positive affect, might prompt heightened STB screening and assessments for preadolescents with a history of STBs.

The Lum emotional availability of parents scale among Portuguese adolescents: a psychometric evaluation

ABSTRACT Emotional availability of parents plays a crucial role in the psychological well-being and development of adolescents. However, previous studies have primarily focused on assessing maternal emotional availability. The Lum Emotional Availability of Parents (LEAP) scale was developed, considering both mothers’ and fathers’ emotional availability. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the LEAP scale among Portuguese adolescents (N = 202). The results confirmed the unifactorial structure of the LEAP scale. Convergent construct validity was supported. Specifically, adolescents’ perceptions of higher emotional availability from parents were related to better health-related quality of life. The LEAP scale also demonstrated small but positive associations with emotion regulation, with higher emotional availability being linked to lower use of expressive suppression and greater use of cognitive reappraisal. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the LEAP scale is a valid instrument for assessing adolescents’ perceptions of both mothers’ and fathers’ emotional availability.

Exploring the Links between Physical Activity, Emotional Regulation, and Mental Well-Being in Jordanian University Students.

Background: University students face multiple stressors that negatively impact their mental well-being. Effective emotional regulation and physical activity are crucial for mood management and overall health. This study explored the connection between physical activity, emotional regulation, and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress) in Jordanian university students. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey involved 416 students (146 male and 270 female) from Jordanian universities. The survey covered demographics, physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), emotional regulation strategies (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), and mental health symptoms (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales). Pearson's correlations examined relationships, and ANOVA compared differences in 'low', 'medium', and 'high' physical activity groups. Results: Greater use of expressive suppression was correlated with increased anxiety symptom severity (p = 0.029). Although physical activity levels were not significantly related to emotional regulation, the 'high' physical activity group reported lower depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety symptom severity (p < 0.001) than the 'low' and 'medium' groups. Conclusions: Increased physical activity and emotional expression suppression are independently associated with improved mental well-being in Jordanian university students. This study underscores the importance of integrating physical activity and emotional expression strategies to support student well-being.

Emotion Regulation Moderates Associations between Discrimination and Cannabis Use Patterns among Sexual Minority Young Adult Women

Background: Sexual minority young adults (SMYAs) experience discrimination and have high cannabis use prevalence. Discrimination may be associated with cannabis use, including hazardous use and co-use with tobacco, depending on emotion regulation and gender. Methods: Fall 2020 survey data assessed discrimination, use frequency of emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression), current cannabis use, hazardous use, and cannabis-tobacco dual use among SMYAs (age 18-34) in 6 United States metropolitan areas (women: n=450, Mage =24.1, SD=4.7, 69.6% bisexual, 18.2% lesbian/gay, 12.2% other; men: n=254, Mage=24.7, SD=4.5, 33.5% bisexual, 54.3% gay, 12.2% other). Multivariable logistic regression examined the moderating roles of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression on associations of discrimination with cannabis use outcomes, stratified by gender and adjusted for age, race and ethnicity, and employment. Results: Among SMYA women, 89.5% experienced any discrimination; 53.1% reported current cannabis use, of whom 49.4% and 47.7% reported hazardous use and cannabis-tobacco dual use, respectively. Adjusting for sociodemographics, experiencing greater discrimination was associated with greater odds of hazardous cannabis use (aOR=1.08, 95% CI [1.02, 1.15]) and cannabis-tobacco dual use (aOR=1.04, 95% CI [1.01, 1.08]) among SMYA women with greater use of expressive suppression. Among SMYA men, 83.9% experienced any discrimination; 49.2% reported current cannabis use, of whom 55.2% and 44.0% reported hazardous use and cannabis-tobacco dual use. Discrimination and emotion regulation were unrelated to cannabis use outcomes among men. Conclusions: Given high rates of discrimination experiences among SMYAs, emotion regulation skills training may empower SMYAs, particularly women, to cope with discrimination without using cannabis.

Investigating the role of emotion regulation in the relationship between childhood trauma and alcohol problems in American Indian adults

ObjectiveTo investigate whether use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression interact with childhood trauma burden to predict alcohol problems in a sample of American Indian adults. MethodsFour hundred and twenty-nine American Indian adults (Mean age = 37.62, 59.5 % male) completed an online survey to measure childhood trauma exposure, perceived impact of childhood trauma, trait use of expressive suppression, and alcohol problems in adulthood. ResultsTrait use of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression interacted with childhood trauma burden to predict alcohol problems in adulthood. American Indian adults who reported high levels of childhood trauma burden who also reported frequent use of both cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression had significantly more alcohol problems compared to individuals who reported similarly high levels of childhood trauma burden who reported low use of these emotion regulation strategies. ConclusionsThese findings provide initial evidence that emotion regulation interventions which focus on different emotion regulation strategies could be an effective way to offset the risk for alcohol problems associated with childhood trauma.

Age differences in emotion regulation strategy use and flexibility in daily life

Objectives Age-related shifts in emotion regulation patterns are important for explaining preserved emotional well-being in late adulthood amidst declines in physical and cognitive health. Although several studies have examined age-related shifts in emotion regulation strategy use, age differences in how specific strategies are flexibly adapted to shifting contexts in daily life and the adaptiveness of such shifts remains poorly understood. Methods 130 younger adults (ages 22–35) and 130 older adults (ages 65–85) completed a modified Day Reconstruction Method Assessment and self-report questionnaires to examine age differences in emotion regulation strategy use and one aspect of emotion regulation flexibility (responsiveness) in daily life, and the adaptive implications of these differences. Results Older adults exhibited more frequent acceptance use, less frequent distraction use, and less flexibility in the responsiveness of strategies with varying negative affect. Across age groups, the use of expressive suppression and distraction was associated with less adaptive outcomes, whereas higher acceptance responsiveness, positive reappraisal responsiveness, and situation selection responsiveness were associated with more adaptive outcomes. Age-group moderated the associations between adaptiveness metrics with the use and flexibility of several emotion regulation strategies. Conclusion The current findings provide early evidence of age-related decreases in emotion regulation flexibility as well as age-related shifts in the adaptiveness of emotion regulation patterns.

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.

“You block yourself from the emotion:” A qualitative inquiry into special education teachers' use of discordant emotional strategies in coping with student aggression

Current research has explored teachers' use of expressive suppression and surface acting; however, research on these strategies, in the context of student aggression, is limited. A qualitative study was conducted to better understand female special education teachers' (SETs') use of discordant emotional (DE) strategies in student aggression. Analyses of the 16 semi-structured interviews revealed emotional distancing as a new DE strategy that consists of emotional detachment and emotional separation. Findings suggest SETs' use of emotional distancing differed by their years of teaching experience and “mental work.” Implications for professionals in practice are discussed to improve SETs’ emotional wellbeing.

Associations between disordered eating behaviour, diabetes distress and emotion regulation strategies in adults with type 1 diabetes: Results from a Dutch-Italian cross-sectional study.

Disordered eating behaviour (DEB) and diabetes distress are prevalent in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Emotion regulation strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, are associated with DEB and managing stress in general. Here we examine the associations between DEB, diabetes distress, and emotion regulation strategies in the context of T1D. Adults with T1D in The Netherlands and Italy completed an online survey, covering DEB (DEPS-R), diabetes distress (PAID-5), and emotion regulation strategies (ERQ). Associations between DEB, diabetes distress, and emotion regulation strategies were examined using path analysis. N = 291 participants completed the survey (78.9% women, 39 ± 13 years, HbA1c : 55 ± 16 mmol/mol (7.2% [3.6%]); TIR: 66% ± 25). N = 79 participants (27.1%) reported DEB (DEPS-R ≥ 20) and n = 159 participants (54.6%) reported elevated diabetes distress (PAID-5 ≥ 8). The path analysis, with small-to-medium effect sizes, revealed that more diabetes distress was associated with more DEB (β = 0.23, 95% CI [0.13, 0.34]). Less diabetes distress was associated with more use of cognitive reappraisal (β = -0.24, 95% CI [-0.36, -0.12]). More DEB was associated with more use of expressive suppression (β = 0.14, 95% CI [0.04, 0.24]). This cross-sectional study suggests an association between DEB and diabetes distress, between cognitive reappraisal and less diabetes distress and between expressive suppression and more DEB. The results suggest that it may prove beneficial to prioritize strengthening emotion regulation strategies in interventions for people with T1D and DEB. Future research should help clarify causality with regard to emotion regulation and DEB in adults with T1D.

How do traditional masculinity ideologies and emotional competence relate to aggression and physical domestic violence in cisgender men?

Men are disproportionately often perpetrators of physical domestic violence (DV). Gender role constructs, such as traditional masculinity ideologies (TMI), are broadly accepted as an explanation for this effect. Emotional competence further constitutes an important role in TMI and the prevention of DV. However, the interactions between these constructs remains unclear. The present study aims to investigate associations of TMI with aggression, DV perpetration, and emotional competence, while also examining emotional competence as a potential moderator. A sample of 428 cisgender men (M age = 43.9 ± 15.3) from German-speaking countries in Europe completed an anonymous online survey that assessed TMI, aggression, and DV perpetration as well as alexithymia, emotion regulation, and self-compassion as indicators of emotional competence. Strong TMI were associated with high levels of aggression and overall reduced emotional competence, as reflected by high levels of alexithymia, frequent use of expressive suppression, and low levels of self-compassion. Strong conformity to TMI was associated with a higher likelihood for DV perpetration when considering relevant sociodemographic covariates. Moderation analyses revealed that expressive suppression buffered the association between TMI and DV perpetration. Men with strong TMI report high levels of aggression and impaired emotional competence. While strong conformity to TMI was associated with more frequent perpetration of DV, higher expressive suppression seems to buffer the association between TMI and DV perpetration. The present study highlights the importance of addressing gender ideologies when working on aggression, DV perpetration and emotional competence in men.

The Role of Family-Level Factors in Childhood Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused pervasive disruptions to family life. In light of the established role of parent-child dynamics in the maintenance of pediatric anxiety, we conducted a multilevel, multimodal study to examine how family-level factors moderate anxious youths’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic (“pre-pandemic”), children with anxiety disorders (n = 28; ages 6-12) completed an fMRI task probing parental modulation of amygdala reactivity to fearful faces. During the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (“mid-pandemic”), parents completed questionnaires about their family’s exposure to COVID-19-related stress, their child’s COVID-19-related fears and behaviors, and their own (parental) functioning. Pre-pandemic parental modulation of amygdala reactivity moderated the association between children’s exposure to COVID-19-related stress and their COVID-19-related fears and behaviors. Furthermore, greater mid-pandemic parental assistance with their child’s use of venting and with their child’s use of expressive suppression as emotion regulation strategies exacerbated the effects of COVID-19-related stress on children’s COVID-19-related fears and behaviors, respectively. These results provide preliminary insight into the ways in which distinct family-level factors may buffer or exacerbate the effects of COVID-19-related stress on youth with a history of anxiety disorders.

Longitudinal associations between emotion regulation strategies and subjective well-being in migrant and non-migrant adolescents in urban China.

This study examined the long-term reciprocal impact of two key emotion regulation strategies, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, on the subjective well-being of migrant and non-migrant adolescents in urban China. A total of 2397 middle school students from urban China (864 migrant, Mage =13.05 years, SD=0.62, 41.7% girls; 1533 non-migrant, Mage =13.01 years, SD=0.47, 50.1% girls) were followed from 2016 to 2017. Data on the two emotion regulation strategies (measured using the Chinese version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) and subjective well-being (measured using the Subjective Well-Being Inventory) were collected. Although no differences were found in the use of cognitive reappraisal, migrant adolescents reported greater use of expressive suppression than non-migrant adolescents. Furthermore, a two-group cross-lagged panel analysis showed that cognitive reappraisal positively predicted subjective well-being among both migrant and non-migrant adolescents, whereas expressive suppression was positively related to subjective well-being in only migrant adolescents. Migrant adolescents with higher levels of subjective well-being jointly used cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, while non-migrant adolescents were prone to only using cognitive reappraisal. These findings indicate that group-level context influences both the utilisation and functionality of emotion regulation strategies among migrant and non-migrant adolescents in urban China.

Adolescents suppress emotional expression more with peers compared to parents and less when they feel close to others

Adolescence is characterized by frequent emotional challenges, intense emotions, and higher levels of expressive suppression use than found in older populations. While evidence suggests that contingent expressive suppression use based on context is the most functional, it remains unclear whether adolescents use expressive suppression differentially based on social context. Because the peer relationship is highly salient in adolescence, the current study was designed to assess whether adolescents use expressive suppression differentially based on their social context. Adolescents (N = 179, Mage = 13.94, 49.2% female) reported emotional events using experience sampling via a smartphone application for 14 days. Multilevel modeling revealed that adolescents used less expressive suppression when they were alone compared with when they were with people, and used more expressive suppression when they were with their peers compared with when they were with family. In addition, more closeness with family predicted less overall expressive suppression use, while closeness with peers did not influence the level of expressive suppression use within the peer context. We discuss the importance of peer relations in adolescence and the relationship between closeness and emotional expression.

Inflammation and emotion regulation: Findings from the MIDUS II study

Emotion regulation (ER) strategies are thought to contribute to mental as well as physical health outcomes. Two common ER strategies include expressive suppression, or inhibition of emotional expression, and cognitive reappraisal, which involves changing how to think about an emotion-eliciting event in order to change its emotional impact. Recent reports have hypothesized that one potential way in which ER may be linked to health outcomes is via the immune system. However, information on this putative link is scarce. The present study aims to explore whether peripheral inflammatory biomarkers are associated with individual differences in ER-strategy use. Participants (n = 117) from the Midlife in the United States II (MIDUS II) study completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and provided a blood sample for immune biomarker extraction including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), E-selectin, Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and fibrinogen. Results showed higher levels of expressive suppression were associated with decreased IL-10, TNF-α, and ICAM-1 levels (controlling for age, sex, BMI, total prescribed medications, and depressive symptoms). Consistent with these findings, hierarchical regression results identified TNF-α as a significant predictor of expressive suppression use. In contrast, no inflammatory markers were associated with predicted use of cognitive reappraisal. Our findings suggest a link between inflammation and specific ER-strategy use. Future research should consider the effects of pro-vs. anti-inflammatory cytokines on adaptive ER and subsequent mental and physical health.

Emotion regulation in substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The ability to regulate emotions effectively has been associated with resilience to psychopathology. Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) have been shown to have higher levels of negative emotionality, with some evidence suggesting impairment in emotion regulation compared with individuals without SUDs. However, no previous attempt has been made to systematically review the literature to assess the magnitude of this difference. We aimed to assess the association between SUD diagnosis and emotion regulation as measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) through a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing findings. The systematic review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase. We examined cross-sectional studies that compared a SUD group with a control group and measured emotion regulation using the DERS or the ERQ. The primary analysis focused on papers using the DERS, as this was the predominant instrument in the literature. Twenty-two studies met our primary analysis criteria, representing 1936 individuals with a SUD and 1567 controls. Individuals with SUDs relative to controls had significantly greater DERS scores, with a mean difference of 21.44 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.49-26.40, P < 0.001] and Hedges' g =1.05 (95% CI = 0.86-1.24, P < 0.001). The difference was robust, remaining significant after removing outliers and studies with high risk of bias. Individuals with SUDs demonstrated poorer emotion regulation on each subscale of the DERS, with the largest deficits in the Strategies and Impulse subscales. The ERQ analysis revealed greater use of expressive suppression in those with SUDs relative to controls (Hedges' g = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.25-1.28, P = 0.004). People with substance use disorders appear to have greater difficulties in emotion regulation than people without substance use disorders.

0494 The Associations Between Insomnia Symptoms and Emotional Regulation Among Typically Developing Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionA high prevalence of sleep disturbances was observed in adolescents during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This has been interpreted as being related to disruptions in daily routines and social life caused by pandemic-related societal restrictions. Although the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the routines of all adolescents, not all adolescents developed insomnia in response to pandemic-related changes. A reduced ability to regulate negative emotions is associated with a higher risk of developing insomnia, yet it is not known if it is associated with higher levels of insomnia in adolescents. Cognitive reappraisal, which consists of changing the way one thinks about potentially emotion-inducing events, is effective in downregulating negative emotion. Expressive suppression, which is changing the way one behaviorally responds to emotion-eliciting events, can decrease a positive emotional experience but does not alter the experience of negative emotion. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between insomnia symptoms in typically developing adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic and the tendency to use cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression to regulate emotions. It was hypothesized that high levels of insomnia symptoms among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic would be associated with more frequent use of expressive suppression and less frequent use of cognitive reappraisal when regulating emotions.Methods49 adolescents aged 11-16 (M= 13.43, SD= 1.67) participated in the study during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada (May 15 to June 30, 2020). The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was used to assess the severity of nighttime and daytime components of insomnia. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was used to assess respondents' tendencies to regulate their emotions using cognitive reappraisal or expressive suppression.ResultsHigher ISI total scores were significantly associated with lower reappraisal scores on the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire.ConclusionA higher level of insomnia symptoms among typically developing adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with less frequent use of emotional regulation strategy that is effective in downregulating negative emotion. Limitations: Given the cross-sectional design of the study, it is not possible to determine causality.Support (If Any)CIHR 418638 to Reut GruberRGPIN-2015-04467 to Reut Gruber

The role of emotion regulation and intolerance to uncertainty on the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and distress

The COVID-19 pandemic is increasing negative consequences on mental health around the globe. To date, research on what psychological factors could influence individuals’ distress is still scarce. The current study aims to test a multiple mediation model to examine the role of Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) and emotional regulation (i.e., expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal) as joint factors, which can increase understanding of psychological distress due to the COVID-19 outbreak. An online survey measuring fear of COVID-19, IU, emotional regulation, and psychological distress was administered to 3863 Italian adults (females 73.3%; Mage = 36.44; SD = 14.74) during lockdown. Results showed that IU partially mediated the effect of fear of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety and stress. Moreover, individuals with difficulties in managing the uncertainties due to their fear of COVID-19 may be at risk for heightened use of expressive suppression and depression. However, individuals with both higher IU and expressive suppression showed lower level of stress. High cognitive reappraisal has a mediational effect on the relationship between fear of COVID-19, IU, and lower psychological distress. Findings suggest that IU and emotional regulation should be targeted for informing the development of tailored treatments to reduce the negative consequences of the outbreak.

Emotion regulation among competitive youth athletes: exploring the independent and interactive effects of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression

ABSTRACT Emotion regulation is important for individual well-being and performance across sport and non-sport contexts. However, studies focusing specifically on youth athletes’ emotion regulation are comparatively rare. This study examined how youth athletes’ engagement in two common emotion regulation strategies, namely cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, related to key outcomes including pleasant and unpleasant emotions felt, enjoyment, intentions to return, confidence, satisfaction, and emotional and social loneliness. Prior to the main analyses, confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the factorial validity of the responses obtained with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents [ERQ-CA; Gullone & Taffe, 2012. The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA): A psychometric evaluation. Psychological Assessment, 24(2), 409–417] that was adapted to youth sport contexts. A cross-sectional online survey was administered with 448 youth athletes (Mage = 15.1 years old, SD = 2.3) in competitive sports. Confirmatory factor analyses showed suboptimal factor loadings for three items, and they were thus removed from subsequent analyses. Polynomial regressions with response surface analyses were used to explore the independent effects of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression on the outcome variables, as well as their interactive effects on these outcomes. The results showed that more favourable levels of outcome variables were associated with greater use of cognitive reappraisal and less use of expressive suppression. The results demonstrate the benefits of cognitive reappraisal and the detriments of expressive suppression for youth athletes, and provide evidence for the usefulness of the adapted version of the ERQ-CA in youth sport contexts.

The Influence of Emotion Regulation on the Association Between Depression and Heart Rate Variability in Cardiac Patients.

Poor vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is a mechanism linking depression to coronary heart disease (CHD). Reduced vmHRV is also considered an index of emotion dysregulation-the frequent use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, one of the most important being expressive suppression-which is a key component of depression. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the moderating role of expressive suppression in the relation between depression and vmHRV in patients with CHD. The sample included 235 patients with CHD (mean [standard deviation] age = 61.6 [9.8] years; 12% women) admitted to cardiac rehabilitation after a cardiac intervention. The Beck Depression Inventory-II was administered to assess depressive symptoms. Emotion regulation strategies based on either expressive suppression or cognitive reappraisal were assessed through the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Resting electrocardiographic recordings were collected for 5 minutes to compute HRV indices. Expressive suppression moderated the relation between depressive symptoms and vmHRV ( b = -0.03, p = .012). Patients with lower expressive suppression scores showed no association between depressive symptoms and vmHRV ( b = -0.00, p = .94), whereas those with higher expressive suppression scores showed a significant negative association between depressive symptoms and vmHRV ( b = -0.05, p = .015). The use of expressive suppression is likely to potentiate the relation between depressive symptoms and poor vmHRV, which could increase the cardiac risk in these patients. Targeting emotion regulation skills in cardiac rehabilitation programs may be useful for reducing the impact of depression in cardiac patients.