scholarly journals Age, Emotion Regulation, and Well-Being after the 2016 Flood

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 856-857
Author(s):  
Katie Cherry ◽  
Piper Bordes ◽  
Matthew Calamia ◽  
Emily Elliott

Abstract In 2016, catastrophic flooding in south Louisiana claimed 13 lives with billions of dollars in damage to homes and communities in the decade after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the US Gulf Coast. In this study, we tested the inoculation hypothesis which predicts that older adults will be less distressed than younger adults due to their prior experience with severe weather events. Participants were 218 predominately middle-aged and older adults who varied in current and prior flood experience: less than half (40%) did not flood in 2016, 31% had flood damage, and 29% had relocated permanently inland after catastrophic losses in the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and they flooded again in 2016. Depression symptoms were assessed with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Emotion regulation strategies were measured using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form. Results indicated that the older adults had fewer symptoms of depression and were less likely to report self blame for flood-related adversities compared to younger adults. The two age groups did not differ significantly on the emotion regulation strategies of acceptance, reappraisal, positive refocusing, other blame, and perseveration. Age was inversely associated with symptoms of depression and the maladaptive strategies of self blame for flood-related misfortune and perseveration over losses. These data support the inoculation hypothesis and suggest that prior severe weather experiences, which are likely for older adults living in hurricane prone areas, are important for post-flood resilience. Implications of these findings for disaster planning and age-sensitive interventions to mitigate adversity are considered.

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 668-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Brummer ◽  
Lusia Stopa ◽  
Romola Bucks

Background: To date there is promising, yet limited, evidence to suggest that differences exist between older and younger adults’ emotion regulation styles. Aims: The study aimed to explore emotion regulation style across the adult lifespan by assessing whether self-reported reappraisal, or suppression, differs across age groups, and how these emotion regulation strategies may impact upon psychological distress. Method: Three hundred and seventeen younger, 175 middle-aged and 85 older adults’ emotion regulation styles and levels of psychological distress were measured using self-report questionnaires and examined using a cross-sectional design. Results: The findings suggest that, compared to younger adults, older adults make greater use of suppression, the emotion regulation strategy. This greater use of suppression by older adults was not related to increased levels of psychological distress. By contrast, younger adults who reported high levels of suppression reported higher levels of psychological distress. In addition, older adults reported less anxiety and stress than younger adults, with no age differences in depression. Conclusions: Findings suggest a possible decoupling of the use of emotional suppression and psychological distress with age. Suppression may be a useful form of emotion regulation for the stressors experienced in later life and, arguably, therefore may not be associated with the negative outcomes observed in younger adults.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly M Livingstone ◽  
Vanessa L Castro ◽  
Derek M Isaacowitz

Abstract Objectives Age shifts in emotion regulation may be rooted in beliefs about different strategies. We test whether there are age differences in the beliefs people hold about specific emotion regulation strategies derived from the process model of emotion regulation and whether profiles of emotion beliefs vary by age. Method An adult life-span sample (N = 557) sorted 13 emotion regulation strategies either by (a) how effective the strategies would be or (b) how likely they would be to use them, in 15 negative emotion-eliciting situations. Results Younger adults ranked attentional and cognitive distraction more effective than older adults, and preferred avoidance, distraction, and rumination more (and attentional deployment less) than middle-aged and older adults. Latent profile analysis on preferences identified three distinct strategy profiles: Classically adaptive regulators preferred a variety of strategies; situation modifiers showed strong preferences for changing situations; a small percentage of people preferred avoidance and rumination. Middle-aged and older adults were more likely than younger adults to be classically adaptive regulators (as opposed to situation modifiers or avoiders/ruminators). Discussion These findings provide insight into the reasons people of different ages may select and implement different emotion regulation strategies, which may influence their emotional well-being.


Crisis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 280-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nir Madjar ◽  
Nicole Segal ◽  
Gilad Eger ◽  
Gal Shoval

Abstract. Background: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been found to be associated with poor emotion regulation. Aims: The goal of this study was to examine the association of multidimensional cognitive emotion regulation strategies with NSSI among adolescents and compare the different patterns of NSSI. Method: A sample of 594 high-school students (54.4% boys; mean age = 14.96 years), from five regional schools across Israel, were assessed for five facets of cognitive emotion regulation strategies (acceptance, refocus on planning, positive refocusing, putting into perspective, and positive reappraisal) and NSSI behaviors using validated scales. Participants were allocated into three groups: repetitive NSSI (more than six occasions of NSSI; 7.1%), occasional NSSI (at least one incident but less than six; 8.3%), and no NSSI (84.6%). Results: Analysis of covariance, controlling for gender and depression symptoms, revealed that students with NSSI reported higher levels of acceptance, but lower levels of refocus on planning and putting into perspective. Limitations: The study used a cross-sectional design, which was a limitation. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that particular cognitive emotion regulation strategies differ substantially in their relationship with NSSI. Adolescents who focus on planning and putting stressful situations into perspective may have increased resilience, whereas adolescents who are accepting of negative events that have happened may be more prone to maladaptive coping behaviors.


Author(s):  
Laura Antonia Lucia Parolin ◽  
Ilaria Maria Antonietta Benzi ◽  
Erika Fanti ◽  
Alberto Milesi ◽  
Pietro Cipresso ◽  
...  

The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted individuals’ psychological wellbeing resulting in heightened perceived stress, anxiety, and depression. However, a significant issue in accessing psychological care during a lockdown is the lack of access to in-person interventions. In this regard, research has shown the efficacy and utility of psychological app-based interventions. ‘Italia Ti Ascolto’ (ITA) has been developed as a population tailored internet-based intervention to offer an online professional solution for psychological support needs. The ITA app is available on iOS and Android systems. Users completed a baseline assessment on emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), psychological stress, anxiety, depression, and perceived social support. Participants could select among several one-hour long clinical groups held by expert psychotherapists. After every session, people were asked to complete a quick users’ satisfaction survey. Our contribution presents ITA’s intervention protocol and discusses preliminary data on psychological variables collected at baseline. Data showed significant associations between emotion regulation strategies, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and level of stress. Moreover, the role of perceived social support is considered. Future developments and implications for clinical practice and treatment are discussed.


Author(s):  
Miray Akyunus ◽  
Tülin Gençöz ◽  
Selin Karakose

Interpersonal difficulties and emotion regulation are the core characteristics of the borderline personality disorders (BPD). However, how emotion regulation strategies contribute to the association between interpersonal problems and borderline personality symptomatology have not been well-addressed in the literature. The aim of the current study is to examine the mediator role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies between interpersonal problems and borderline personality beliefs. The study consisted of 648 (381 women and 267 male) people from Turkey. In addition to Socio Demographic Form, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales (IIP-32) and Borderline Personality Belief Subscale (PBQ) were used to collect data from participants. Results showed that negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies, particularly catastrophization, blaming-others and self-blame mediated the relationship between interpersonal problems and borderline personality beliefs. With the cognitive level of assessment, the findings of the current study provide enlightening information to understand the underlying processes of the borderline personality pattern, as well as promising clinical implications to improve intervention programs within cognitive therapy approaches.


Author(s):  
Anna Walenda ◽  
Barbara Kostecka ◽  
Philip S. Santangelo ◽  
Katarzyna Kucharska

Abstract Background Inefficient mechanisms of emotional regulation appear essential in understanding the development and maintenance of binge-eating disorder (BED). Previous research focused mainly on a very limited emotion regulation strategies in BED, such as rumination, suppression, and positive reappraisal. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess a wider range of emotional regulation strategies (i.e. acceptance, refocusing on planning, positive refocusing, positive reappraisal, putting into perspective, self-blame, other-blame, rumination, and catastrophizing), as well as associations between those strategies and binge-eating-related beliefs (negative, positive, and permissive), and clinical variables (eating disorders symptoms, both anxiety, depressive symptoms, and alexithymia). Methods Women diagnosed with BED (n = 35) according to the DSM-5 criteria and healthy women (n = 41) aged 22–60 years were assessed using: the Eating Attitudes Test-26, the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire-18, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Statistical analyses included: Student t - tests or Mann–Whitney U tests for testing group differences between BED and HC group, and Pearson’s r coefficient or Spearman’s rho for exploring associations between the emotion regulation difficulties and strategies, and clinical variables and binge-eating-related beliefs in both groups. Results The BED group presented with a significantly higher level of emotion regulation difficulties such as: nonacceptance of emotional responses, lack of emotional clarity, difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior, impulse control difficulties, and limited access to emotion regulation strategies compared to the healthy controls. Moreover, patients with BED were significantly more likely to use maladaptive strategies (rumination and self-blame) and less likely to use adaptive strategies (positive refocusing and putting into perspective). In the clinical group, various difficulties in emotion regulation difficulties occurred to be positively correlated with the level of alexithymia, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Regarding emotion regulation strategies, self-blame and catastrophizing were positively related to anxiety symptoms, but solely catastrophizing was related to the severity of eating disorder psychopathology. Conclusions Our results indicate an essential and still insufficiently understood role of emotional dysregulation in BED. An especially important construct in this context seems to be alexithymia, which was strongly related to the majority of emotion regulation difficulties. Therefore, it might be beneficial to pay special attention to this construct when planning therapeutic interventions, as well as to the maladaptive emotion regulation strategies self-blame and catastrophizing, which were significantly related to BED psychopathology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 578-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kira S. Birditt ◽  
Courtney A. Polenick ◽  
Gloria Luong ◽  
Susan T. Charles ◽  
Karen L. Fingerman

Author(s):  
Nadezhda Golovchanova ◽  
Katja Boersma ◽  
Henrik Andershed ◽  
Karin Hellfeldt

Fear of crime is a substantial problem for older adults and is associated with reduced subjective well-being. However, less is known about factors that could moderate the associations between fear of crime and mental health problems and well-being in advanced age. Cognitive emotion regulation could serve as a potentially buffering factor for adverse health outcomes related to fear of crime due to its potential importance in managing feelings when facing threatening situations. The current study investigated the associations between affective fear of crime with depressive feelings and life satisfaction and examined whether adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies moderated these associations in a sample of older adults (age 64–106) in Sweden (N = 622). The results showed that affective fear of crime was associated with more depressive feelings, less life satisfaction, and more frequent use of such maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies as rumination, catastrophizing, and blaming others. Moreover, rumination and self-blame moderated the associations between affective fear of crime and life satisfaction. Adaptive emotion regulation strategies were not associated with affective fear of crime and did not decrease the strength of its association with depressive feelings and with life satisfaction. These findings allow us to conclude that maladaptive emotion regulation could be considered a vulnerability factor in the association of fear of crime with life satisfaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Touraj Hashemi Nosratabad ◽  
Mansour Bayrami ◽  
Ali Shiri

Background: Internet addiction is one of the most paramount problems of societies. Therefore, the knowledge of its influencing factors is of special importance. Methods: The present study was correlational in terms of goals and descriptive in terms of the data gathering procedure. The statistical population consisted of 2,000 male students and included all fourth-grade students of state high schools of Tabriz City in 2017. The sample included 246 students, selected through random cluster sampling. For the collection of data, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation questionnaire (CERQ), Young’s Diagnostic questionnaire (YDQ), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used. Then, the collected data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Results: Negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies could explain internet addiction symptoms. Self-blame, other-blame, rumination, catastrophizing, and anxiety could explain internet addiction symptoms directly. The indirect effect of self-blame and rumination on internet addiction mediated by anxiety was positive and significant; however, the indirect effect of other-blame and catastrophizing on internet addiction mediated by anxiety was not significant. Conclusions: The findings have practical implications for clinical psychologists and can be used for diagnosis and therapy of internet addiction disorder.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-413
Author(s):  
Pavel Larionov ◽  
Karolina Mudło-Głagolska

The analysis of psychological factors associated with aggressive behavior of adolescents is an important area of research of a scientific and practical nature. The aim of the study was to identify the relationship between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and physical aggression, anger and hostility in Polish and Ukrainian adolescents. The study involved 70 Polish and 63 Ukrainian teenagers aged 11 to 15 years. The research tools used in the study included the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. It was found that primarily maladaptive strategies were strongly associated with hostility and to a somewhat lesser extent with anger. Within their cultures, boys and girls hardly differed in the results of the studied variables, which may indicate that gender does not differentiate the level of aggression and the frequency of use of cognitive coping strategies. On the basis of the obtained results it may be concluded that the main focus of preventive measures should be the development of effective coping skills aimed primarily at reducing the use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies such as self-blame, catastrophizing, rumination and blaming others.


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