Emotion Regulation and Mentalization in Patients With Depression and Anxiety.

OBJECTIVE: Theoretical conceptualizations of emotion and affect regulation have a considerable common ground. However, mentalization theory considers the ability to regulate affects as being contingent on the ability to mentalize. The aim of the present study is to examine the association between emotion regulation and mentalization, operationalized as reflective functioning, in a sample of patients with depression and/or anxiety. METHODS: The study used data from the TRAns-diagnostic Cognitive behavioural Therapy versus standard cognitive behavioural therapy (TRACT-RCT) trial. Patients with depression and/or anxiety (N = 291; 64.4% female; Mage = 32.2; SD = 11.0) completed the Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire (ERSQ) and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-6). Correlation and regression analyses were performed to determine associations of the measures of ERSQ and RFQ-6 in relation to the outcome variables, global well-being (World Health Organization Well-being Index; WHO-5) and social functioning (Work and Social Adjustment Scale; WSAS). RESULTS: Overall, the patients had a reduced level of emotion regulation (MERSQ_Total = 1.77; SD = 0.59). However, only mildly impaired reflective functioning was found (MRFQ-6 = 3.57; SD = 1.26). ERSQ correlated significantly with RFQ-6 (r = -0.31), that is, more frequent use of emotion regulation strategies was associated with less hypomentalization. ERSQ was a stronger predictor of well-being and social function than RFQ-6. CONCLUSION: In patients with anxiety and/or depression, hypomentalization as measured by the RFQ-6 is not a major problem, but emotion regulation is. It seems that these two, theoretically related constructs, do not necessarily co-occur. Alternatively, the RFQ-6 scale might not capture the mentalization construct in a valid way. Emotion regulation strategies are highly related to symptomatology; therefore, they are likely to be an important target for psychotherapy.

A structural model of EFL teachers' physical activity, emotion regulation, and competence for online teaching.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a rapid shift to online teaching, placing unprecedented demands on educators' physical and mental well-being. However, the relationship between English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' physical activity, emotion regulation, and competence for online teaching remains underexplored. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the interplay between EFL teachers' physical activity, emotion regulation strategies, and competence for online teaching. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling revealed significant direct and indirect effects, indicating that physical activity positively influences emotion regulation, which, in turn, enhances teachers' competence for online instruction. Furthermore, emotion regulation was found to mediate the relationship between physical activity and online teaching competence. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of promoting physical activity among EFL teachers as a means to enhance their emotion regulation skills and competence for online teaching, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPLICATIONS: The study highlights the need for targeted interventions aimed at supporting EFL teachers' well-being and professional development, with implications for educational policies, teacher training programs, and institutional support structures in the digital learning landscape.

Understanding empathy deficits and emotion dysregulation in psychopathy: The mediating role of alexithymia.

Psychopathy is a severe personality disorder marked by a wide range of emotional deficits, including a lack of empathy, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia. Previous research has largely examined these emotional impairments in isolation, ignoring their influence on each other. Thus, we examined the concurrent interrelationship between emotional impairments in psychopathy, with a particular focus on the mediating role of alexithymia. Using path analyses with cross-sectional data from a community sample (N = 315) and a forensic sample (N = 50), our results yielded a statistically significant mediating effect of alexithymia on the relationship between psychopathy and empathy (community and forensic) and between psychopathy and emotion dysregulation (community). Moreover, replacing psychopathy with its three dimensions (i.e., meanness, disinhibition, and boldness) in the community sample revealed that boldness may function as an adaptive trait, with lower levels of alexithymia counteracting deficits in empathy and emotion dysregulation. Overall, our findings indicate that psychopathic individuals' limited understanding of their own emotions contributes to their lack of empathy and emotion dysregulation. This underscores the potential benefits of improving emotional awareness in the treatment of individuals with psychopathy.

Longitudinal prediction of primary school children's COVID-related future anxiety in the second year of the pandemic in Germany.

Although research has confirmed that the first COVID-19-related lockdown has increased stress and mental health problems in children, less is known about the longer-term effects of the pandemic on children's COVID-related future anxiety (CRFA). Because of CRFA's potentially debilitating effects, risk and resilience factors against this anxiety were investigated. To this end, n = 140 children (49% female) in 3rd and 4th grade classrooms in Germany were asked to perform a working memory task and to self-report about their CRFA and emotion regulation in December 2020 and in May 2021. More maladaptive emotion regulation in December 2020 contributed to the explanation of a high CRFA score in May 2021, whereas a better performance on working memory updating contributed a lower CRFA score later when controls were in place. These results were confirmed when children's CRFA in December 2020 was included in the prediction of their later CRFA. They suggest that maladaptive strategies of emotion regulation, such as rumination, may explain higher or increasing levels of CRFA, whereas efficient working memory updating may be an indicator of processing information in a way which shields children from CRFA-related thoughts. The concepts underlying these variables should be included in prevention and intervention efforts.

Grandmother-grandchild physiological synchrony in Chinese three-generation families: Links with child emotion regulation.

The current study examined the characteristics of physiological synchrony between grandmothers and grandchildren in Chinese three-generation families, and the associations between physiological synchrony and child emotion regulation. The participants included 92 children (age 8-10-year old) and their grandmothers. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was collected from both grandmothers and their grandchildren throughout a collaborative drawing task and a conflict discussion task. Child emotion regulation was measured using the Children's Emotional Management Scale. We found no evidence for an overall pattern of concordant or discordant synchrony within dyads. Instead, there was great variability in patterns of synchrony across dyads. During the collaborative drawing task, concordance in grandmother's RSA and grandchildren's subsequent RSA was linked with better emotion regulation. During the conflict discussion, concordance in grandmother's RSA and grandchildren's simultaneous RSA was linked with poorer emotion regulation. These results suggest that grandmother-grandchild synchrony in different directions, time lags, and contexts has different influences on children's emotion regulation. The findings of this study highlight the importance of contextual physiological co-regulation between Chinese children and their grandmothers for children's social-emotional development.

Maternal distress during the COVID-19 outbreak: A socio-ecological perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Mothers faced an increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other populations. However, there is little data on the factors that placed mothers at increased risk of distress. AIMS: The present study explored a range of individual, familial, and environmental factors associated with psychological distress in mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: This repeated cross-sectional study was composed of a convenience sample of mothers who completed an online survey that included a demographic questionnaire, an emotion regulation questionnaire, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale. The survey was administered during the second and third lockdowns in Israel in 2020-2021. RESULTS: The study included 575 mothers (M age = 39). The findings of a hierarchical regression indicated that individual-level factors, composed of age and emotion regulation tendencies predicted psychological distress. The family-level factors of household income and number of children in the family also predicted distress. In terms of environmental-level factors, COVID-19-related media consumption and school status (open or closed) were also significant predictors of psychological distress. Importantly, the results showed that the most important predictors of psychological distress in mothers during the COVID-19 outbreak were school closures, household income, and the use of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the intersection of individual, familial, and environmental factors in mothers' mental health during crises.

A Self-Reported Study on Explanatory Variables of Stress in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Exploring the Effect of Physical Conditions and Emotion Regulation Processes.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS)-linked stress is frequent, multidetermined and facilitates the onset/exacerbation of MS. However, few explanatory models of stress analysed the joint explanatory effect of emotion regulation and clinical outcomes of MS in those patients. OBJECTIVE: This study explored whether self-reported MS-related conditions (number of relapses, fatigue and global disability) and specific emotion regulation processes (experiential avoidance and self-compassion) explain stress symptoms in MS patients. METHODS: The MS sample comprised 101 patients with MS diagnosis receiving treatment in hospitals and recruited through the Portuguese MS Society. The no-MS sample included 134 age-, sex- and years of education-matched adults without MS recruited from the general Portuguese population. Both samples did not report other neurological disorders. Data were collected using self-response measures. RESULTS: All potential explanatory variables differed significantly between samples, with higher scores found in MS patients. In MS clinical sample, those variables and years of education correlated with stress symptoms and predicted stress symptoms in simple linear regression models. These results allowed their selection as covariates in a multiple linear regression model. Years of education, the number of relapses, fatigue and experiential avoidance significantly predicted 51% of stress symptoms' total variance. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence on the importance of clinicians and researchers considering the simultaneous contribution of years of education, the number of perceived relapses, fatigue and experiential avoidance as factors that can increase vulnerability to stress in MS patients. Psychological intervention programmes that tackle these factors and associated stress symptomatology should be implemented.

Effects of a Chatbot-Based Intervention on Stress and Health-Related Parameters in a Stressed Sample: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Stress levels and the prevalence of mental disorders in the general population have been rising in recent years. Chatbot-based interventions represent novel and promising digital approaches to improve health-related parameters. However, there is a lack of research on chatbot-based interventions in the area of mental health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 3-week chatbot-based intervention guided by the chatbot ELME, specifically with respect to the ability to reduce stress and improve various health-related parameters in a stressed sample. METHODS: In this multicenter two-armed randomized controlled trial, 118 individuals with medium to high stress levels were randomized to the intervention group (n=59) or the treatment-as-usual control group (n=59). The ELME chatbot guided participants of the intervention group through 3 weeks of training based on the topics stress, mindfulness, and interoception, with practical and psychoeducative elements delivered in two daily interactive intervention sessions via a smartphone (approximately 10-20 minutes each). The primary outcome (perceived stress) and secondary outcomes (mindfulness; interoception or interoceptive sensibility; subjective well-being; and emotion regulation, including the subfacets reappraisal and suppression) were assessed preintervention (T1), post intervention (T2; after 3 weeks), and at follow-up (T3; after 6 weeks). During both conditions, participants also underwent ecological momentary assessments of stress and interoceptive sensibility. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in perceived stress (ß03=-.018, SE=.329; P=.96) and momentary stress. Mindfulness and the subfacet reappraisal significantly increased in the intervention group over time, whereas there was no change in the subfacet suppression. Well-being and momentary interoceptive sensibility increased in both groups over time. CONCLUSIONS: To gain insight into how the intervention can be improved to achieve its full potential for stress reduction, besides a longer intervention duration, specific sample subgroups should be considered. The chatbot-based intervention seems to have the potential to improve mindfulness and emotion regulation in a stressed sample. Future chatbot-based studies and interventions in health care should be designed based on the latest findings on the efficacy of rule-based and artificial intelligence-based chatbots. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00027560; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00027560. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1046202.

Predicting aggressive behaviors: Examining unique and interactive roles of PTSD and emotion dysregulation in a minority sample.

Aggression is a costly public health problem with severe and multi-faceted negative consequences and thus, identifying factors that contribute to aggression, particularly in understudied populations, is necessary to develop more effective interventions to reduce the public health cost of aggression. The goal this study was to test whether difficulties regulating emotions moderated the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and aggression in a community sample of predominantly Black females with high levels of trauma exposure. Furthermore, we explored unique relations between PTSD symptom clusters and distinct subscales of difficulties regulating emotions and aggression. The sample included 601 community participants recruited from an urban public hospital. Symptoms were assessed using self-report measures including the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Behavioral Questionnaire-Short. Regression analyses were conducted using PTSD symptoms and total DERS to test their interaction as predictors for aggression (using BQ-Short). We found that higher levels of PTSD arousal symptoms and difficulty controlling impulses when upset were positively related to aggression. We also conducted an exploratory analysis to examine the association between PTSD symptom clusters using the Alternative Symptom Clusters hybrid model. The results suggest that some PTSD symptoms (externalizing behavior) and some emotion dysregulation processes (difficulties controlling impulses when upset), relate to aggression in independent, rather than multiplicative ways. These results offer insights for new directions of research that focuses on the independent association between specific emotion dysregulation processes and PTSD symptoms on aggression.

Physicians' emotion awareness and emotion regulation training during medical education: a systematic scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this systematic scoping review is to identify what approaches have been implemented in medical education programmes to teach medical students the skills to identify and manage emotions that may be elicited in them during physician-patient interactions and in the clinical environment. Emotions of all involved in the clinical encounter are central to the process of clinical care. However, a gap remains addressing and teaching medical students about recognising and dealing with their own emotions. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will follow the updated JBI (The Johanna Briggs Institute) methodology guidance for the conduct and reporting of systematic scoping reviews, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. A search strategy was developed and applied to five databases. Terms used included medical education, medical curriculum, medical students, emotion (regulation), psychological well-being and mental health. Additionally, a grey literature and reference list search will be conducted. Two independent reviewers will first screen titles and abstracts followed by a second, full-text screening phase. Publications to be included will contain information and data about teaching approaches such as lectures, and other teaching material on physicians' emotion awareness and emotion regulation training in medical education. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study will review existing literature on emotion awareness and emotion regulation training in medical education, and a systematic scoping review does not require ethical approval. The results of this scoping review will be submitted for publication to relevant peer-reviewed journals and will be used to inform the development and implementation of training programmes and research studies aimed at preparing medical students to identify and manage their own emotions in the clinical environment.

Emotional Regulation as a Transdiagnostic Process of Emotional Disorders in Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

CONTEXT: Several studies have shown that emotional regulation (ER) is a transdiagnostic construct of emotional disorders. Therefore, if therapy improves ER, it would improve psychological distress. OBJECTIVE: This review assesses and compares the changes in ER due to psychological treatment in different therapies. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs published in the databases PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science was performed. It was registered in PROSPERO under the number CRD42023387317. Two independent experts in the field reviewed the articles. RESULTS: A total of 18 articles met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Analysis of these studies suggests that in unified protocol (UP), cognitive behaviour therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and mindfulness, there is evidence to support that a moderate effect occurs during treatment. Furthermore, in mindfulness and DBT, the effect was moderate in the follow-up period, while in UP, it was high. LIMITATIONS: Given the heterogeneity of the applied interventions and the methodological limitations found in the reviewed trials, the results should be interpreted with caution. CONCLUSIONS: UP, cognitive behaviour therapy, DBT and mindfulness can improve ER after therapy, while UP, DBT and mindfulness in the follow-up period. Other therapies, such as SKY or Flotation REST, require more research.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Varios estudios han demostrado que la regulación emocional es un constructo transdiagnóstico de los trastornos emocionales. Por lo tanto, si la terapia mejora la regulación emocional, también mejorará el malestar psicológico. OBJETIVO: Evaluar y comparar el cambio en la regulación emocional debido al tratamiento psicológico en diferentes terapias. MÉTODO: Se realizó una revisión sistemática y metaanálisis de ECA publicados en las bases de datos PubMed, PsycINFO y Web of Science. Se registró en PROSPERO con el número CRD42023387317. Dos expertos independientes en la materia revisaron los artículos. RESULTADOS: Un total de 18 artículos cumplieron los criterios de inclusión en la revisión. El análisis de estos estudios sugiere que en el Protocolo Unificado, la Terapia Cognitivo Conductual, la Terapia Dialéctica Conductual y terapias basadas en mindfulness existen evidencias que apoyan que se produce un efecto moderado durante el tratamiento. Además, en las terapias basadas en mindfulness y en la Terapia Dialéctica Conductual, el efecto se moduló en el periodo de seguimiento, mientras que en el Protocolo Unificado fue mayor. LIMITACIONES: Dada la heterogeneidad de las intervenciones aplicadas y las limitaciones metodológicas encontradas en los ensayos revisados, los resultados podrán interpretarse con cautela. CONCLUSIONES: UP, CBT, DBT y mindfulness pueden mejorar la ER tras la terapia, mientras que UP, DBT y mindfulness pueden mejorar la recuperación tras un tiempo de seguimiento. Otras terapias, como SKY o Flotation REST, requieren más investigación.

Effect of partner presence on emotion regulation during parent-child interactions.

Having people around, especially if they provide social support, often leads to positive outcomes both physically and mentally. Mere social presence is especially beneficial when it comes from a loved one or romantic partner. In these studies, we aim to expand the understanding of how the presence of one's romantic partner affects emotion regulation in parental situations. Specifically, we examined how partner presence influences the parent's emotional intensity, emotion regulation, and interpretation of their child's emotion regulation. We examined these questions in parents of both non-autistic children (Study 1) as well as autistic children (Study 2), which we hypothesize leads to more intense emotional interactions. The parents of autistic children were better able to regulate their emotions when their partners were present compared to when they were absent. Furthermore, in both studies, parents' ratings of their children's ability to regulate their emotions were higher when their parent's partner was present compared to when the partner was absent. However, in both studies, we found no significant difference in the parents' emotional intensity when their partners were present compared to when their partners were absent during the emotionally charged interaction with their child. Our findings help highlight the impact of partner presence on parent and child emotion regulation.

START NOW WebApp-promoting emotion regulation and resilience in residential youth care and correctional institutions: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents and young adults in residential care and correctional institutions face various challenges, leading to negative life outcomes. Implementation barriers within these institutions, such as limited financial and spatial resources, pose significant hurdles to providing necessary support. Web-based approaches address these challenges by offering cost-effective, accessible solutions. This study aims to assess the efficacy of a newly developed web-based version of the existing evidence-based START NOW skills training in fostering emotion regulation and resilience among institutionalized adolescents and young adults. We present the study protocol (Version 5, August 2023) of the trial titled "Implementation of an e-version of the skills training START NOW for promoting emotion regulation and resilience in residential youth care and correctional institutions". METHODS: The study is a monocentric, prospective, confirmatory randomized controlled trial with 150 institutionalized adolescents and young adults with a need to improve resilience (predefined cut-offs). Participating institutions will be randomized to one of three conditions: (i) 9-week web-based group training guided by a facilitator, (ii) 9-week web-based self-help training, (iii) and treatment as usual. The primary endpoint is the change in psychological flexibility, assessed by the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth score, from baseline to follow-up 12 weeks post skills training. Secondary objectives encompass assessing pre-post changes in psychological flexibility and other psychological health-related outcome measures in participating adolescents, young adults, and caretakers from baseline, to post training, and to 12- and 24-week follow-ups. DISCUSSION: This study evaluates the efficacy of START NOW as web-based training for institutionalized adolescents and young adults, providing valuable insights into web-based interventions and aiming to optimize support levels. TRIAL REGISTRATION {2A AND 2B}: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05313581. Registered on 6 April 2022.

I rely on a little help from my friends: the effect of interpersonal and intrapersonal emotion regulation on the relationship between FOMO and problematic internet use.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the role of emotion regulation in relation to the links between fear of missing out (i.e., FOMO) and two components of problematic internet use: problematic social media use and doomscrolling. METHODS: Participants (N = 603, Mage = 30.41, SDage = 7.64; 49.1% male-identifying) completed measures of fear of missing out, intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion regulation, and problematic social media use, and doomscrolling. A parallel mediation model was tested to examine the nature of the associations between fear of missing out, intrapersonal, and interpersonal emotion regulation, in accounting for variance in the outcome measures. RESULTS: Analyses revealed that the effect of fear of missing out on problematic social media use was fully mediated by both intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion regulation. In contrast, the effect on doomscrolling was fully mediated by intrapersonal emotion regulation only. CONCLUSIONS: Findings clarify the role of emotion regulation in explaining the relationship between fear of missing out and two types of problematic internet use, indicating a need to consider individual differences in emotion regulation in an evolving social media landscape.

Proof-of-concept testing of a brief virtual ACT workshop for emotional eating.

BACKGROUND: Emotional eating, or eating in response to negative emotions, is a commonly reported short-term emotion regulation strategy but has been shown to be ineffective in the long term. Most emotional eating interventions based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) have been delivered in the context of weight loss trials, highlighting a need for ACT-based emotional eating interventions in weight-neutral contexts. AIMS: This proof-of-concept study aimed to test the acceptability and efficacy potential of a brief virtual ACT workshop for emotional eating in a small sample of adults identifying as emotional eaters. METHODS: Twenty-six adult emotional eaters completed an ACT workshop delivered in two 1.5-h sessions over two weeks. The workshop targeted awareness and acceptance of emotions and eating urges, and valued actions around eating. RESULTS: The acceptability of the workshop was demonstrated by high participant satisfaction. Significant improvements on all outcome measures were found and maintained up to 3 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These proof-of-concept findings suggest that a brief virtual ACT workshop may improve emotional eating and associated ACT processes. Results from this study can inform a future randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of the workshop and the role of theoretical processes of change. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04457804. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, evidence obtained from multiple time series with the intervention.

The effect of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity: the mediating role of anger and the moderating role of emotion regulation strategies.

BACKGROUND: the AMORAL model emphasizes the close connection of individuals' belief system and malevolent creativity. Belief in a just world theory (BJW) states that people have a basic need to believe that the world they live in is just, and everyone gets what they deserve. Therefore, justice matters to all people. Justice sensitivity, as one of individual trait, has been found associated with negative goals. However, relevant studies have not tested whether justice sensitivity can affect malevolent creativity and its psychological mechanisms. Additionally, researchers have found that both anger and emotion regulation linked with justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity, but their contribution to the relationship between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity remained unclear. The current study aims to explore the influence of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity, the mediating effect of trait anger/state anger on the relationship between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity, and the moderating effect of emotion regulation on this mediating effect. METHODS: A moderated mediating model was constructed to test the relationship between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity. A sample of 395 Chinese college students were enrolled to complete the questionnaire survey. RESULTS: Justice sensitivity positively correlated with malevolent creativity, both trait anger and state anger partly mediated the connection between justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity. Moreover, emotion regulation moderated the indirect effect of the mediation model. The indirect effect of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity through trait anger/state anger increased as the level of emotion regulation increased. The results indicated that justice sensitivity can affect malevolent creativity directly and indirectly through the anger. The level of emotion regulation differentiated the indirect paths of justice sensitivity on malevolent creativity. CONCLUSIONS: Justice sensitivity and malevolent creativity was mediated by trait anger/state anger. The higher sensitivity to justice, the higher level of trait anger/state anger, which in turn boosted the tendency of malevolent creativity. This indirect connection was moderated by emotion regulation, individuals with high emotion regulation are better able to buffer anger from justice sensitivity.

The mediating role of trait emotional intelligence in the relationship between parental neglect and cognitive emotion regulation strategies.

BACKGROUND: Examining children's abilities to recognize and regulate their emotions in the context of parental neglect is of significant importance in order to comprehend the dynamics of and to support the development of emotional skills of children, particularly those at risk of neglect. From this point of view, the aim of the study was to examine the mediating role of trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) in the relationship between parental neglect and cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) in children. METHOD: The study group consisted of 265 children (135 girls and 130 boys) who were attending two separate primary schools in the city center of Antalya, Turkey. The mean age of the children was 10.27 ± 0.45. As the data gathering instruments, an "Individual Information Form" was administered to assess the socio-demographic information of the children, while the "Multidimensional Neglectful Behavior Scale-Child Report was administered to examine the level of neglect of children by the parents, the "Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Child Form" was administered to assess the trait emotional intelligence level, and the "Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies for Children Scale" was administered to assess the CERS of the children. RESULT: It was found that trait EI played a full mediator role in the relationship between CERS and both maternal and paternal neglect (p < .05), except for the relationship between paternal neglect and maladaptive CERS (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The results may suggest that neglected children use all emotion regulation skills, including both adaptive and maladaptive, to cope with their negative emotional experience, but may use adaptive CERS more if their trait EI is higher.

Utility of a virtual small group cognitive behaviour program for autistic children during the pandemic: evidence from a community-based implementation study.

BACKGROUND: Autistic children often experience socioemotional difficulties relating to emotion regulation and mental health problems. Supports for autistic children involve the use of adapted interventions that target emotion regulation and social skills, alongside mental health symptoms. The Secret Agent Society Small Group (SAS: SG), an adapted cognitive behavioural program, has demonstrated efficacy through lab-delivered randomized control trials. However, research is still needed on its effectiveness when delivered by publicly funded, community-based autism providers under real-world ecologically valid conditions, especially within the context of a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted access to community-based supports and services for autistic children, and programs have adapted their services to online platforms. However, questions remain about the feasibility and clinical utility of evidence-based interventions and services delivered virtually in community-based settings. METHODS: The 9-week SAS: SG program was delivered virtually by seven community-based autism service providers during 2020-2021. The program included the use of computer-based games, role-playing tasks, and home missions. Caregivers completed surveys at three timepoints: pre-, post-intervention, and after a 3-month follow-up session. Surveys assessed caregivers' perception of the program's acceptability and level of satisfaction, as well as their child's social and emotional regulation skills and related mental health challenges. RESULTS: A total of 77 caregivers (94% gender identity females; Mean = 42.1 years, SD = 6.5 years) and their children (79% gender identity males; Mean = 9.9 years, SD = 1.3 years) completed the SAS: SG program. Caregivers agreed that the program was acceptable (95%) and were highly satisfied (90%). Caregivers reported significant reduction in their child's emotion reactivity from pre- to post-intervention (-1.78 (95% CI, -3.20 to -0.29), p = 0.01, d = 0.36), that continued to decrease after the 3-month booster session (-1.75 (95% CI, -3.34 to -0.16), p = 0.02, d = 0.33). Similarly, improvements in anxiety symptoms were observed (3.05 (95% CI, 0.72 to 5.36), p = 0.006, d = 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: As online delivery of interventions for autistic children remains popular past the pandemic, our findings shed light on future considerations for community-based services, including therapists and agency leaders, on how best to tailor and optimally deliver virtually based programming. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with ISRCTN Registry (ISRCTN98068608) on 15/09/2023. The study was retroactively registered.

Emotion regulation across psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Difficulties with emotion regulation have been associated with multiple psychiatric conditions. In this study, we aimed to investigate emotional regulation difficulties in young adults who gamble at least occasionally (ie, an enriched sample), and diagnosed with a range of psychiatric disorders using the validated Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). METHODS: A total of 543 non-treatment-seeking individuals who had engaged in gambling activities on at least 5 occasions within the previous year, aged 18-29 were recruited from general community settings. Diagnostic assessments included the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Minnesota Impulsive Disorders Interview, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder World Health Organization Screening Tool Part A, and the Structured Clinical Interview for Gambling Disorder. Emotional dysregulation was evaluated using DERS. The profile of emotional dysregulation across disorders was characterized using Z-scores (those with the index disorder vs. those without the index disorder). RESULTS: Individuals with probable ADHD displayed the highest level of difficulties in emotional regulation, followed by intermittent explosive disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder. In contrast, participants diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder showed relatively lower levels of difficulties with emotional regulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of recognizing emotional dysregulation as a trans-diagnostic phenomenon across psychiatric disorders. The results also reveal differing levels of emotional dysregulation across diagnoses, with potential implications for tailored treatment approaches. Despite limitations such as small sample sizes for certain disorders and limited age range, this study contributes to a broader understanding of emotional regulation's role in psychiatric conditions.

The neurostructural consequences of glaucoma and their overlap with disorders exhibiting emotional dysregulations: A voxel-based meta-analysis and tripartite system model.

BACKGROUND: Glaucoma, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to irreversible blindness, is associated with heightened rates of generalized anxiety and depression. This study aims to comprehensively investigate brain morphological changes in glaucoma patients, extending beyond visual processing areas, and explores overlaps with morphological alterations observed in anxiety and depression. METHODS: A comparative meta-analysis was conducted, using case-control studies of brain structural integrity in glaucoma patients. We aimed to identify regions with gray matter volume (GMV) changes, examine their role within distinct large-scale networks, and assess overlap with alterations in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). RESULTS: Glaucoma patients exhibited significant GMV reductions in visual processing regions (lingual gyrus, thalamus). Notably, volumetric reductions extended beyond visual systems, encompassing the left putamen and insula. Behavioral and functional network decoding revealed distinct large-scale networks, implicating visual, motivational, and affective domains. The insular region, linked to pain and affective processes, displayed reductions overlapping with alterations observed in GAD. LIMITATIONS: While the study identified significant morphological alterations, the number of studies from both the glaucoma and GAD cohorts remains limited due to the lack of independent studies meeting our inclusion criteria. CONCLUSION: The study proposes a tripartite brain model for glaucoma, with visual processing changes related to the lingual gyrus and additional alterations in the putamen and insular regions tied to emotional or motivational functions. These neuroanatomical changes extend beyond the visual system, implying broader implications for brain structure and potential pathological developments, providing insights into the overall neurological consequences of glaucoma.