Vagal flexibility to negative emotions moderates the relations between environmental risk and adjustment problems in childhood

Neurobiological and social-contextual influences shape children’s adjustment, yet limited biopsychosocial studies have integrated temporal features when modeling physiological regulation of emotion. This study explored whether a common underlying pattern of non-linear change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) across emotional scenarios characterized 4–6 year-old children’s parasympathetic reactivity (N = 180). Additionally, we tested whether dynamic RSA reactivity was an index of neurobiological susceptibility or a diathesis in the association between socioeconomic status, authoritarian parenting, and the development of externalizing problems (EP) and internalizing problems over two years. There was a shared RSA pattern across all emotions, characterized by more initial RSA suppression and a subsequent return toward baseline, which we call vagal flexibility (VF). VF interacted with parenting to predict EP. More authoritarian parenting predicted increased EP two years later only when VF was low; conversely, when VF was very high, authoritarian mothers reported that their children had fewer EP. Altogether, children’s patterns of dynamic RSA change to negative emotions can be characterized by a higher order factor, and the nature by which VF contributes to EP depends on maternal socialization practices, with low VF augmenting and high VF buffering children against the effects of authoritarian parenting.

Emotional intelligence and anger in adolescents with obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Poor perception, understanding and regulation of emotions often play a key role in the development and maintenance of psychopathological disorders. The aim of this study was to analyze differences in attention, compression, regulation of emotion and anger, taking into account some variables that may influence results (age, anxiety and depression). Participants were 315 adolescents (213 boys and 102 girls) aged between 12 and 18 years old (M= 14.92, SD= 1.98), high (≥ 90th percentile) and low (< percentile 21) ratings in obsessive-compulsive dimension in The Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 1975). Statistically significant differences between groups were observed in emotions and anger variables except internal expression of anger and physical expression of anger. Age, anxiety and depression influenced some variables. These findings are relevant for treatment.

Causal Model of Overcoming Death Anxiety by Cognitive Regulation of Emotion and Spirituality and the Mediation Role of Resilience in Patients Diagnosed With Cancer: Provide Suggestions to Improve Psychiatric Nursing Services

Objectives: Personality and spiritual factors play an important role in the death anxiety of incurable patients. This research was performed to investigate the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between emotional regulation and spirituality, with death anxiety in cancer patients. Methods: Number of 290 cancer patients referring to the chemotherapy section of Imam Reza Hospital were selected using available sampling methods. The questionnaires that were considered to collect information were: (1) Demographic Information Questionnaire; (2) Parsian and Dunning Spirituality Questionnaire; (3) Garnefski Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; (4) Connor & Davidson Resilience Questionnaire; and (5) Templer Death Anxiety Questionnaire; all the data from these questionnaires after completion and analysis of the data collected, structural equations were carried out using Smart Pls. Results: The results showed that the direct effect of cognitive regulation of emotion, spirituality and resilience on death anxiety is significant (P ≤ 0.01). Also, the direct effect of cognitive regulation of emotion and spirituality on resilience is significant (P ≤ 0.01). Furthermore the indirect cognitive regulation of emotion and spirituality on death anxiety mediated by resilience is significant (P ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: The results of this study show the importance of personality and spiritual factors in psychological problems of cancer patients and have implications in the field of psychotherapy.

Cognitive Emotional Regulation Questionnaire: a Factorial Validation Study in Spanish for Children (CERQ-k)

Background: The cognitive regulation of emotions is a fundamental variable in socio-affective functioning, being an essential skill in childhood due to its relationship with multiple areas of social functioning. Although there is a version that allows evaluating this construct (CERQ-k), translated and adapted for Argentine children, the structural model found does not fully coincide with the model proposed by the authors of the original version of CERQ. Objective: To test, through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the model obtained in the adapted version and compare it with that of the original version of the instrument. Method: From a non-probabilistic sample, 761 children between the ages of 9 and 12, from the provinces of Entre Ríos and Córdoba, participated in the study. Descriptive analyzes of the items, CFA, and reliability analysis were carried out. Results: The CFA indicated an adequate fit in both models, although the second-order model proved to be more parsimonious and with satisfactory fit and error indices. Conclusion: The CERQ-k version adapted to Argentina, whose structure has been confirmed in this study, allows a valid and reliable measure of the construct to evaluate the cognitive regulation of emotion in children aged 9 to 12 years.

Functions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in emotion regulation under stress

Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) contributes to regulation of emotion. However, the adaptive response of the vmPFC under acute stress is not understood. We used fMRI to analyse brain activity of people viewing and rating the emotional strength of emotional images after acute social stress. Here, we show that the vmPFC is strongly activated by highly emotional images, indicating its involvement in emotional regulation, and that the midbrain is activated as a main effect of stress during the emotional response. vmPFC activation also exhibits individual differences in behavioural scores reflecting individual reactions to stress. Moreover, functional connectivity between the vmPFC and midbrain under stress reflects stress-induced emotion regulation. Those results suggest that the functions of the network including the vmPFC in emotion regulation is affected by stress depending on the individuals' level of reaction to the stress.

Allostasis and metastasis: The yin and yang of childhood self-regulation

Most research has studied self-regulation by presenting experimenter-controlled test stimuli and measuring change between baseline and stimulus. In the real world, however, stressors do not flash on and off in a predetermined sequence, and there is no experimenter controlling things. Rather, the real world is continuous and stressful events can occur through self-sustaining interactive chain reactions. Self-regulation is an active process through which we adaptively select which aspects of the social environment we attend to from one moment to the next. Here, we describe this dynamic interactive process by contrasting two mechanisms that underpin it: the “yin” and “yang” of self-regulation. The first mechanism is allostasis, the dynamical principle underlying self-regulation, through which we compensate for change to maintain homeostasis. This involves upregulating in some situations and downregulating in others. The second mechanism is metastasis, the dynamical principle underling dysregulation. Through metastasis, small initial perturbations can become progressively amplified over time. We contrast these processes at the individual level (i.e., examining moment-to-moment change in one child, considered independently) and also at the inter-personal level (i.e., examining change across a dyad, such as a parent–child dyad). Finally, we discuss practical implications of this approach in improving the self-regulation of emotion and cognition, in typical development and psychopathology.

Psychometric Properties of the Original Version of the Assessment of Time Management Skills

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Time management is a key OT intervention component. Valid and reliable instruments are essential for evaluating rehabilitation and OT interventions. The results of this study show that the Assessment of Time Management Skills has good measurement properties and consistent and replicable items and is useful in English-speaking countries. It can provide valid measures of time management skills, organization and planning skills, and regulation of emotion in a general population and presumably also a population with cognitive impairment. Primary Author and Speaker: Afsaneh Roshanai Contributing Authors: Gunnel Janeslätt, Suzanne Marie White, Kajsa Lidstroem Holmqvist, Marie Holmefur

A Closer Look at the Emotional Intelligence Construct: How Do Emotional Intelligence Facets Relate to Life Satisfaction in Students Involved in Bullying and Cyberbullying?

Adolescents’ perception of their own emotional abilities has been related to psychological adjustment and well-being. However, there are still few studies focusing on specific emotional dimensions in relation to bullying and well-being in adolescence. This study analysed the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) facets, satisfaction with life, bullying and cyberbullying in adolescents. The sample consisted of 3520 high school students (51.5% females) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.37; SD = 1.67). The correlation analyses showed that the majority of EI facets were positively related to satisfaction with life and negatively with both types of violence. As was expected, bullying and cyberbullying victims and bully–victims scored lower in satisfaction with life and the majority of EI facets. Controlling for sex, age, and grade, self-emotion appraisal, use of emotions and regulation of emotion were the best predictors of life satisfaction in bully–victims of bullying and cyberbullying. Finally, we discuss the relevance of these findings for clinical and educational practice on EI seeking to promote subjective well-being among adolescents involved in bullying and cyberbullying.