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Resilience in the face of stress: Emotion regulation as a protective factor
Abstract
Humans are remarkably resilient in the face of crises, traumas, disabilities, attachment losses and ongoing adversities. To date, most research in the field of traumatic stress has focused on neurobiological, psychological and social factors associated with trauma-related psychopathology and deficits in psychosocial functioning. Far less is known about resilience to stress and healthy adaptation to stress and trauma. This book brings together experts from a broad array of scientific fields whose research has focused on adaptive responses to stress. Each of the five sections in the book examines the relevant concepts, spanning from factors that contribute to and promote resilience, to populations and societal systems in which resilience is employed, to specific applications and contexts of resilience and interventions designed to better enhance resilience. This will be suitable for clinicians and researchers who are interested in resilience across the lifespan and in response to a wide variety of stressors.
... Resilience involves two self-regulation functions: attentional control and cognitive reappraisal (Troy & Mauss, 2011). Specifically, attentional control pertains to directing selective attention to a situation to change the associated emotions, while cognitive reappraisal involves modifying the appraisal of the situation by altering perceptions (Kay, 2016). ...
... Owing to the hierarchical structure of our data, consisting of both within-person and between-person levels, we utilized Mplus 8.3 to perform multilevel path modeling. Intraclass correlation (ICC (1) ) coefficients were computed to determine the variance proportion accounted for by the different levels. The ICC (1) coefficients in Table 1 suggest that within-person variations range from 31.8% (recovery experience) to 51.7% (job crafting), supporting the application of multilevel path modeling. ...
... Intraclass correlation (ICC (1) ) coefficients were computed to determine the variance proportion accounted for by the different levels. The ICC (1) coefficients in Table 1 suggest that within-person variations range from 31.8% (recovery experience) to 51.7% (job crafting), supporting the application of multilevel path modeling. We centered predictors at Level-1 (within-person level) around the group mean and Level-2 (between-person level) control variables around the grand mean. ...
This study investigates the daily dynamics between recovery experiences, sleep quality, resilience, job crafting, and long-term job performance. By building on prior research that highlights the critical roles of recovery and sleep in employee well-being and performance, we focus on job crafting as a key behavioral outcome of off-job recovery activities. Drawing on the self-regulatory strength model, we propose that recovery experiences and sleep quality replenish self-regulatory resources needed for self-control, fostering next-day job crafting through enhanced resilience. Using the experience-sampling method for 91 flight attendants, who answered two daily surveys over five days, we found a positive relationship between overnight experiences of recovery, sleep quality, and job crafting on the subsequent day, which was mediated by resilience the following morning. Additionally, daily resilience and job crafting mediated the positive impact of daily recovery experiences and sleep quality on job performance measured three months later. Notably, this study departs from previous ones by viewing job crafting as a self-regulatory behavior impacted by a cognitive self-control mechanism. Our findings underscore the importance of supporting employee recovery and sleep to facilitate job crafting and long-term performance. These insights offer practical implications for organizational policies and culture, training initiatives, and interventions aimed at enhancing employee well-being and sustained productivity.
... (31) Particularmente, se ha considerado que para evaluar el impacto de la inteligencia emocional en la resiliencia es fundamental que los eventos estresantes posean un alto contenido emocional (32) . Dicho esto, el cáncer es una enfermedad que detona emociones negativas como la ira, la culpa, la tristeza y la melancolía (30) , por lo cual la inteligencia emocional favorecería la conducta resiliente, permitiendo la adaptación a las nuevas emociones, es decir, lograr un aprendizaje emocional (33) y fortalecer la resiliencia (34,35) . Ante lo explicado, el objetivo del presente estudio es identificar el impacto de las dimensiones de la inteligencia emocional en la resiliencia de un grupo de mujeres diagnosticadas con cáncer de cuello uterino sometidas a diferentes tratamientos. ...
... A pesar de que la literatura es escasa al corroborar el impacto de las dimensiones de la inteligencia emocional en la resiliencia, existen indicios que respaldan los resultados encontrados, como lo demostrado en mujeres peruanas (33) e iraníes (26) con diferentes diagnósticos de cáncer, en las que verificó el impacto de la automotivación, emociones positivas en la resiliencia; en una muestra de pacientes chinas se verificó una combinación de aspectos como el control de emociones negativas (33) ; en mujeres brasileras se corroboró que el bienestar psicológico y la diversión que contribuyen a un buen estado de ánimo, representan características importantes en el mantenimiento y reforzamiento de la de la salud psíquica de las pacientes (12) , en población de mujeres alemanas se verificó resultados similares a los presentados refiriendo que percepción subjetiva de felicidad y buen estado de ánimo predicen la adaptabilidad psicológica o resiliencia (58) y que la angustia emocional la cual indispone los afectos positivos decrementa la resiliencia (60) . ...
... A pesar de que la literatura es escasa al corroborar el impacto de las dimensiones de la inteligencia emocional en la resiliencia, existen indicios que respaldan los resultados encontrados, como lo demostrado en mujeres peruanas (33) e iraníes (26) con diferentes diagnósticos de cáncer, en las que verificó el impacto de la automotivación, emociones positivas en la resiliencia; en una muestra de pacientes chinas se verificó una combinación de aspectos como el control de emociones negativas (33) ; en mujeres brasileras se corroboró que el bienestar psicológico y la diversión que contribuyen a un buen estado de ánimo, representan características importantes en el mantenimiento y reforzamiento de la de la salud psíquica de las pacientes (12) , en población de mujeres alemanas se verificó resultados similares a los presentados refiriendo que percepción subjetiva de felicidad y buen estado de ánimo predicen la adaptabilidad psicológica o resiliencia (58) y que la angustia emocional la cual indispone los afectos positivos decrementa la resiliencia (60) . ...
Objetivo: Identificar si la inteligencia emocional predice el incremento de la resiliencia en sobrevivientes de cáncer cérvico uterino en Arequipa. Método: El diseño de investigación fue de tipo predictivo simple con un corte transversal para analizar la influencia de las dimensiones de la inteligencia emocional sobre la resiliencia. Se evaluó a 100 mujeres con un rango de edad entre los 23 y 87 años diagnosticadas con cáncer de cuello uterino sometidas a diversos tratamientos. Los instrumentos utilizados para la evaluación fueron el Brief Emotional Intelligence Inventory for Senior Citizens y la Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Los datos fueron procesados por el software Mplus versión 8.4. Resultados: Se evidencia que el manejo del estrés y un estado de ánimo positivo potencian la resiliencia. Conclusiones: Los resultados revelan la importancia de intervenir en la salud mental ante la presencia de enfermedades crónicas, la inteligencia emocional en sus dimensiones de manejo del estrés y estado de ánimo tienen un impacto positivo en el comportamiento resiliente de las mujeres con neoplasia de cuello uterino sometidas a diversos tratamientos.
... The study considered the three decades of resilience research, which has shown that human beings' perceptions of life stressors and their ability to manage them play a critical role in their susceptibility to ill-being (Kimhi, 2015;Bonanno & Mancini, 2011;Catherall, 2004;Delahanty, 2008;DeCarvalho & Whealin, 2012;Eshel et al. Galatzer-Levy et al., 2018;Masten, 2015;McCarffery, 2011;Ozbay et al., 2007;Southwick et al., 2016;Troy & Mauss, 2011;Walsh, 2016;Wu et al., 2013). We operationalized stress and resilience on a spectrum to predict the well-being of Ukrainians based on their perceptions of stressors and their capacity to adapt positively. ...
... Fourth, the study results also aligned with Libanova et al. (2020) by documenting lower resilience and subjective well-being in Ukrainians, especially, women. The lower well-being measured by the WHO-5 suggested further assessment for depressive disorders, which has been shown to thwart resilience-promoting behaviors and thoughts such as adaptive and prosocial behavior, cognitive flexibility, and positive outlook (Bonanno & Mancini, 2011;Liu et al., 2018;Troy & Mauss, 2011). The findings infer that greater capacity to regulate emotions had an inverse relationship between stress, which corresponded with prior cross-cultural research by Galatzer-Levy et al. (2018), Liu et al. (2018), DeCarvalho and Whealin (2012), and McCarffery (2011), Ozbay et al. (2007, and Southwick et al. (2016). ...
... Counselors could integrate Lazarus (1999) conceptual framework to understand clients' appraisal of the life circumstances and their capacity to navigate them effectively. Then, counselors could utilize resilience promoting interventions such as affirming beliefs, emotion regulation techniques, mindfulness, behavior adaption, and social supports to prepare clients to recover or bounce back from daily adversities (Bonanno & Mancini, 2011;Lui et al., 2018;Troy & Mauss, 2011;Wu et al., 2013). These interventions have shown to promote healthy living habits such as reduce hopelessness, helplessness, and avoidance behaviors; and allow people to modify their behaviors to successfully respond to stressful circumstances. ...
The purpose of this pilot, quantitative study was to investigate resilience and stress when predicting well-being in a sample of Ukrainian adults after accounting for the presence of children in the home during the coronavirus pandemic and six years into the Anti-Terrorism Operation. The total sample (N = 80) showed that the mostly female sample (93.8%, n = 75) reported scores on stress that fell in the average range, M = 18.8 (SD = 6.3), and resilience scores in the low resilience range, M = 2.8 (SD = .70). Results of the standard multiple regression found that perceived stress and resilience accounted for 48% of the variance of the well-being measure after controlling for children in the home. The implications of the study support stress management and resilience promoting resources and programs to improve Ukrainians’ well-being.
... It has been extensively documented in the literature that early trauma (i.e., physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, caregiver neglect, and family dysfunction in the early years of life) and psychosocial vulnerability (i.e., stable personality traits and social contexts that predispose individuals to be more or less vulnerable to depression) play a critical role in the development of mental health and behavioural problems. On the other hand, personal and social resources (e.g., resilience, emotion regulation, and social support) may positively influence responses to traumatic events toward more favourable mental health development (Troy & Mauss 2011). One construct that has received increasing attention in the scientific community is posttraumatic growth, which is the positive outcome of psychological engagement following an adverse event (Tedeschi et al. 2018). ...
... Based on the above literature review, it is plausible that DER mediates the relationship between resilience and psychological distress in the context of university transfer (Hypothesis 4). In other words, resilient individuals still experience negative emotions during university transfer (Leary & DeRosier 2012), but if they possess a maladaptive pattern of ER, this can easily lead to higher levels of psychological distress (Troy & Mauss 2011). ...
... The fourth hypothesis (H4) proposes that DER mediates the relationship between resilience and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). This hypothesis is based on the theoretical notion that resilient individuals still experience negative emotions during stressful transitions, but their ability to regulate emotions effectively can prevent the development of psychological distress (Leary & DeRosier 2012;Troy & Mauss 2011). Conversely, individuals with lower resilience and difficulties in emotion regulation are more vulnerable to experiencing psychological distress during such transitions. ...
Young adults face numerous challenges during their first year of university, which is considered by various researchers to be a time of potential threat and acute stress. These challenges were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in disruption of old learning and social structures that make it all the more difficult to adapt. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between resilience, emotion regulation, and psychological distress during the transition to university. A sample of 417 students (250 females, 60%) aged 18to 33 years (Mage = 19.87, SDage = 1.47) was recruited at an Italian university using a random sampling method. Paper questionnaires were completed in classrooms. Resilience was assessed with the Resilience Scale, emotion regulation with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-18, and psychological distress with the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales-21. Results showed that (a) resilience was negatively correlated with difficulties in emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, and stress; (b) difficulties in emotion regulation were positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress; and (c) difficulties in emotion regulation significantly mediated the relationship between resilience and psychological distress. These findings shed light on the relationship between resilience and difficulties in emotion regulation during university transfer and call on higher education institutions to take steps to promote successful emotion regulation in first-year students to facilitate a positive transition to university.
... Adolescents who can regulate their emotions effectively are better equipped to manage difficult situations and stressors, thereby promoting overall short-term and longterm adjustment and well-being. 16 By contrast, emotion dysregulation is a pattern of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies or the absence of adaptive strategies (eg, difficulty managing emotions or calming down, rumination, suppression, aggression). 3 Developmentally, maladaptive emotion regulation puts youth at risk for negative outcomes such as school problems, poor mental well-being and negative relationships. 3 4 A better understanding of what processes enhance effective emotion regulation is needed, as one in five adolescents report mental health concerns (eg, depression and anxiety). ...
... Physical activity Most of the literature linking movement behaviours to emotion regulation, and mental health comes from the field of exercise psychology, which focuses on physical activity. For example, one study using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design showed adolescents (N=119; ages [13][14][15][16][17], at the within-person level, were more satisfied with their life on days when they accrued more device-measured physical activity than usual. 32 To our knowledge, no intensive longitudinal design (ILD) adolescent-focused studies investigating the associations between physical activity and emotion regulation specifically exist. ...
Introduction
Adolescence represents a critical developmental period, with changes in emotional regulation capacities influencing physical and mental health. With less than 6% of Canadian youth currently meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines for physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviour, there is an urgent need to understand the potential association between movement behaviours, physical literacy, emotional regulation and mental health during adolescence. Additionally, there is a need to better understand these associations among equity-deserving groups. We developed the Adolescents’ Daily Lives (ADL) project to identify how, when, under what contexts and to whom to promote healthy engagement in movement behaviours to optimise youth mental health.
Methods and analysis
For the ADL project, we will employ a 14-day intensive longitudinal design to investigate the associations between physical literacy, movement behaviours, emotion regulation and mental health among a diverse sample of 120 adolescents (ages 13–17 years) living in the Greater Victoria Area, British Columbia, Canada. A comprehensive baseline survey and movement competence test, assessing physical and mental well-being, 24-hour movement behaviours (ie, physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviours) and physical literacy, will be accompanied by daily diary surveys and accelerometer-based movement tracking (ie, Fitbit Inspire 3) to assess daily fluctuations in movement behaviour, emotional regulation and mood. Multivariate analyses, including multilevel modelling, multilevel structural equation modelling and Bayesian hierarchical continuous-time SEM, will be used to model the repeated measures data and understand the simultaneous variations in daily movement behaviours, emotion regulation and mental health.
Ethics and dissemination
The ADL project received ethical approval from the University of Victoria Behavioural Research Ethics Board (protocol #22-0262). Study participation is voluntary, and data collection will be anonymised to protect participant privacy and confidentiality. Research findings will be shared through academic publications and conference proceedings. Through knowledge mobilisation resources, cocreated with the youth community advisory board, relevant findings will be shared directly with the wider community of adolescents.
... Research has demonstrated that people's ability to regulate their emotions may be a critically important factor in determining resilience (Crowell et al., 2013), attributing this to Lazarus's (1999) understanding of stressful events as inherently emotional. Troy and Mauss (2011) proposed emotion regulation as the protective factor for resilience in the face of stress and adversity. They suggested that the use of an antecedent-focused strategy of cognitive reappraisal, which changes emotional experiences successfully by modulating cognitive processes involving reinterpretation of emotional events, may contribute to resilience by helping individuals decrease negative responses to emotionally challenging situations. ...
... Additionally, many interventions intended to promote resilience among children, adolescents, families, and communities have focused attention on the multiple roles of parenting (Brent, 2016;Masten &Palmer, 2019;Sandler et al., 2015). Thus, drawing on the above models of resilience and Troy and Mauss's (2011) model, this study proposes a link between parents's emotion regulation and the resilience of their adolescents. ...
Resilience is the quality that helps individuals cope in the face of adversity by maintaining emotional wellbeing. During the growing years, parents play a valuable role in instilling the skills required for becoming resilient. The present study thus aims to examine the relationship between the emotion regulation strategies of parents and adolescents and the resilience of adolescents. Two hundred and four adolescents (aged between 13-19 years) were assessed on ERQ-CA, CDRISC-HA, while parents filled out ERQ. The analysis of correlation revealed that cognitive reappraisal used by the trio (adolescent, mother, and father) correlated positively and significantly with resilience; however, expressive suppression of any of the members of the trio failed to correlate with resilience. Since the demography of individuals plays a major role in one’s abilities, hierarchical regression was applied to control the effect of demography in relation to emotion regulation abilities and resilience. After controlling for demographic variables, a mother’s use of cognitive reappraisal emerged as the most significant predictor of adolescents’ resilience, supported by the adolescent’s own cognitive reappraisal. These findings suggest that mothers, along with adolescents who have the ability to reinterpret any emotion inducing situation, may reduce the negative impact of emotions and make them more resilient. It is thus, indicated that such relations may be accounted for by the emotion socialisation process and observational learning.
... respond to stress in more adaptive ways. One possible explanation for this difference is the offspring's ability to regulate their emotions and responses to stress (Troy & Mauss, 2011). Emotion regulation is a critically important factor in determining one's resilience and vulnerability, as it plays a key factor in many psychopathologies (Loman & Gunnar, 2010;Sheppes et al., 2015). ...
There is widespread agreement that offspring are shaped by the parenting they receive in early childhood. This development is intertwined with offspring’s biological functioning, evidenced by their telomeres length (TL)—a key biomarker of aging. Until recently, most studies have focused on the detrimental implications of negative parenting for offspring’s TL. Contemporary research is oriented toward exploring the possible resilience-promoting effect of positive parenting on the biological aging of the offspring. We conducted a meta-analysis synthesizing the findings regarding the association between parenting quality and offspring’s TL. It examines whether positive parenting delays aging processes and whether such processes are exacerbated by exposure to negative parenting. An analysis of 15 studies ( k = 23; N = 3,599, M mean cohort’s age = 15.5, SD = 17.5) revealed a significant association between positive parenting and offspring’s longer TL ( r = .16, 95% CI [.11, .20]). Negative parenting was associated with an increased risk of TL erosion ( r = −.17, 95% CI [−.28, −.06]). Moreover, this negative association became more robust as offspring grew older ( β = −.01, p < .001). Future investigations would benefit from probing associations between parental quality and offspring’s development. Interventions fostering positive parenting might also scaffold these biological processes.
... First, AER serves as a protective factor in the relationship between CS and depression. This positive mediating effect is consistent with previous research (Folkman and Moskowitz 2000;Troy and Mauss 2011), demonstrating that AER can effectively mitigate the negative impact of stress, thereby promoting mental health. Conversely, MER amplifies the negative effects of CS, potentially intensifying the stress experience and leading to an increased risk of depression (Brown et al. 2005;Gadassi-Polack et al. 2024). ...
Introduction
The Challenge and Hindrance Stress Framework is an influential theoretical model for measuring individuals' perceptions of stress. However, its structure has not been validated among Chinese adolescents, and the effects of different forms of stress on their short‐term and long‐term outcomes remain unclear.
Methods
Study 1 validated the Student Version Challenge and Hindrance Stress Scale with a sample of 3,376 adolescents in China (Time 1, September 2023, Mage = 14.57, SD = 1.46). Studies 2a and 2b extended Study 1 by analyzing cross‐sectional and longitudinal data from 1,083 participants in China (Time 2, March 2024, Mage = 14.32, SD = 1.01) to examine the effects of various forms stress on academic performance and depression, with cognitive emotion regulation strategies used as mediators.
Results
The results showed that adaptive strategies mediated the positive effects of challenge stress on academic performance and depression, whereas maladaptive strategies mediated the negative impacts of challenge or hindrance stress on depression.
Conclusion
These findings emphasize the importance of distinguishing stress forms, offering insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers to enhance adolescent well‐being and performance.
... Resilience, a positive adaptive capacity, enables children to maintain or restore their mental health when facing adversity and serves as a key protective factor in coping with stress and change [9,10]. Individuals with high resilience demonstrate notable psychological strengths and can exibly mobilize internal and external resources to convert negative experiences into motivation for personal growth [11], thereby reducing the risk of negative psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety [12][13][14]. Therefore, resilience is particularly important for children and adolescents, not only helping them better cope with challenges during their growth but also promoting the development of their psychological and social adaptability. ...
Background: Children's mental health has become a major public health challenge, with approximately 19.3% of Chinese children and adolescents facing mental health problems. Resilience, a positive adaptive trait, serves as a key protective factor in children's mental health. While studies indicate that physical activity (PA) enhances resilience, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to examine the relationship between PA and resilience, with a focus on the mediated roles of executive function (EF) and emotion regulation (ER). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 971 primary school students from grades 2 to 6 (mean age = 9.8 years) in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the Chinese Adolescent Resilience Scale (RSCA), the Emotion Regulation Strategies Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA), and the Computerized Neuropsychological Assessment System were used to evaluate the relevant variables. SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 29.0 were used for data analysis and structural equation model testing. Results: The results revealed significant positive correlations between PA and resilience (r = 0.545, p < 0.01) and ER (r = 0.413, p < 0.01), as well as a significant negative correlation with EF reaction time (r = -0.341, p < 0.01). PA was found to have a significant direct effect on resilience (β = 0.294, p < 0.001). Bootstrap mediation analysis revealed that EF and ER jointly formed a significant chain-mediated pathway between PA and resilience, accounting for 17.39% of the total indirect effect. Among them, emotion regulation played the most prominent independent mediating role, contributing 68.38% of the indirect effect. Conclusions: This study elucidates the mechanisms through which PA influences children's resilience via executive function and emotion regulation, highlighting the crucial role of cognitive and ER skills in this process. These findings not only enhance the understanding of the mechanisms underlying children's resilience development but also offer new perspectives for designing interventions to promote children's mental health. Future educational and public health policies should integrate PA with cognitive-emotional training to effectively enhance children's ability to cope with stress and challenges.
... Growth mindset, metacognition and self-regulated learning are all crucially promoted by teaching that fosters emotion regulation (ER) (Karlen et al., 2021), which refers to the process of managing and controlling emotions in support of emotional resonance and resilience (Troy & Mauss, 2011 ). ER is a key aspect of teaching students and is a powerful predictor of youth mental health (Somerville et al., 2024). ...
The chapter explores how educational neuroscience is increasingly impacting teaching and how students learn. It also considers how educational neuroscience facilitates collaboration among neuroscientists, educators, and psychologists. Particular focus is given to the integration of brain science research into high-quality teaching and learning. Given that school leaders play a crucial role in this integration, they need to be aware of the impact of neuroscience on teaching practices within their schools. By understanding the principles of educational neuroscience, school leaders can create a conducive learning environment and promote educational equity. This chapter also underscores the potential of understanding the concept of neuroplasticity to enhance students' motivation and academic performance. Recognising the role of executive functioning skills in cognitive flexibility, attention, and emotional regulation, school leaders can support teachers' and students' development of these abilities. In addition, this chapter discusses how school leaders can help students become more effective learners and foster a growth mindset by promoting efficient memory training and metacognition in their schools. Finally, by endorsing a comprehensive school-wide approach, school leaders can support educators in creating a positive and supportive classroom environment. This would enable students to manage their emotions and develop resilience, improving learning experiences for both educators and students.
... In studies on caregivers of patients with schizophrenia, positive cognitive reappraisal is effective in enhancing individual problem-solving skills by modulating individual cognition, shifting attention, etc., thereby enhancing the psychological resilience of patients' caregivers [27,28]. Troy et al. [29] and Fritz et al. [30] found that assessing and interpreting difficult situations experienced by individuals more positively to reduce negative emotions is an important way to enhance individuals' psychological resilience. Waugh et al. [31], on the other hand, found that cognitive reappraisal of stressful stimuli can promote individuals' psychological resilience by facilitating the return of physiological systems to normal levels and the successful use of environmental stressors. ...
... Students who can effectively regulate their emotions are better equipped to handle academic pressures, maintain motivation, and engage in positive peer interactions, all of which contribute to overall well-being (Benita et al., 2020;Gross, 2015). Emotion regulation is also linked to resilience, enabling individuals to recover from setbacks and persist in goal-directed behavior despite challenges (Troy & Mauss, 2011). Given its strong association with well-being, interventions that enhance emotion regulation-such as mindfulness training, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and emotional awareness programs-have been widely recommended to support mental health (Linehan, 2015). ...
Academic pressure experienced by students can impact their psychological well-being. This study aims to examine the influence of academic hope and emotion regulation on psychological well-being in students. This research employs a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design, involving 152 respondents selected through convenience sampling. All variables were measured using a Likert scale and analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression with R (v4.4.2) and RStudio (v2024.12.0+467). The results indicate that academic hope significantly influences psychological well-being (B = 0.68, p < 0.001). Additionally, emotion regulation also contributes to enhancing students’ psychological well-being (B = 0.58, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the crucial role of academic hope and emotion regulation in supporting students' psychological well-being. The implications of this study emphasize the need to strengthen academic hope and emotion regulation within educational settings to optimize students' psychological well-being.
... Typically, individuals with high resilience have richer psychological resources and the ability to flexibly mobilize internal and external resources to cope with difficulties. They are more likely to gain growth opportunities from negative events and turn adverse factors into motivation (Pietrzak et al., 2009;Troy and Mauss, 2011;Xi et al., 2011). Research has found that resilience is a protective factor for individual mental health and can reduce the negative impact of life events on mental health in a wide range (Ye et al., 2014;Han et al., 2019). ...
Purpose
This study aims to examine the inner relationship between children’s physical exercise, self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and resilience, and explore effective ways to promote the improvement of children’s resilience.
Methods
Using measurement tools such as the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Chinese version of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), and the Adolescents Resilience Scale, we conducted a questionnaire survey was conducted among 700 primary school students in 4 primary schools. The SPSS 22.0 software was used to process and analyze the data, including correlation analysis, regression analysis, and Bootstrap analysis, and AMOS 21.0 software was used to establish a structural equation model.
Results
(1) Physical exercise has a significant positive correlation with self-efficacy (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), emotional intelligence (r = 0.32, p < 0.001), and resilience (r = 0.37, p < 0.001), and there is also a significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence and resilience (r = 0.30, p < 0.001). (2) Physical exercise can directly and positively predict children’s resilience (β1 = 0.38) and its five sub-dimensions, that is, physical exercise can positively predict goal concentration (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), emotional control (β = 0.29, p < 0.001), positive cognition (β = 0.20, p < 0.01), family support (β = 0.33, p < 0.001), interpersonal assistance (β = 0.31, p < 0.001), respectively. (3) Self-efficacy (SE = 0.10) and emotional intelligence (SE = 0.08) have partial mediating effects, respectively, on the relationship between physical exercise and resilience, and the chain mediation effect of self-efficacy and emotional intelligence also reaches a significant level (SE = 0.02).
Conclusion
Physical exercise can have a positive impact on children’s resilience through self-efficacy and emotional intelligence, so schools or parents should attach importance to children’s physical activities, which is an effective way to improve their resilience.
... According to the PMF, among the variables mediating between minority stress and mental health, emotion regulation plays a key role (Villarreal et al., 2021) and as mentioned, contributes to the individuals' capacity to activate their resilience capacities (Troy & Mauss, 2014). In the following paragraph, we will focus on the association of emotion regulation and resilience with depression as well as the relationship between these two constructs and their mediating role between anticipated stigma and depression. ...
Bisexual individuals experience societal stigmatisation due to their minoritized identity and are exposed to health disparities contributing to psychological distress. Drawing on the minority stress theory and the psychological mediation framework, the current study investigated the association between a proximal minority stressor (i.e. anticipated binegativity) and a mental health outcome (i.e. depression) through emotion regulation and resilience in 313 Italian bisexual emerging adults aged 18–29 years who responded to a web-based cross-sectional survey in May 2024. Data regarding socio-demographic characteristics, anticipated binegativity, emotion regulation (i.e. expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal), resilience, and depression were statistically analysed using the structural equation modelling approach. Anticipated binegativity was positively associated with depressive symptoms, and both expressive suppression and resilience mediated the relationship between anticipated binegativity and depressive symptoms, separately. In addition, higher anticipated binegativity increased the level of depressive symptoms through greater expressive suppression (but not cognitive reappraisal), which in turn decreased resilience. The investigation of new psychological paths can inform clinical practice with bisexual emerging adults, who face unique developmental challenges and face increased risk of negative mental health outcomes due to their societal stigmatisation. Interventions should target adaptive emotion regulation strategies and resilience capacities that protect from the risk of depression.
... The emotion-regulation approach is based on appraisal theories, commonly used in the fields of emotion, and emotion regulation seeking to understand individuals' emotional reactions. The core idea of appraisal theories is that our evaluation of an event depends on how we react emotionally, that is, a particular event does not cause emotion, but it is a person's subjective appraisals of the event that lead to an emotional reaction (Troy and Mauss 2011). Positive emotions as a result of situation appraisal lead to increased individual resilience. ...
Global crises significantly disrupt established consumption patterns, requiring consumers to adapt their behaviors and routines in response to market system changes. Despite the critical importance of understanding consumer resilience during such disruptions, academic research remains fragmented. Through a systematic review of 126 articles, this study develops a novel conceptualization of consumer resilience encompassing two distinct pathways: recovery-oriented adaptation, where consumers strive to restore pre-crisis consumption patterns, and transformation-oriented adaptation, involving fundamental shifts in consumption structures and practices. By distinguishing between recovery and transformation pathways, this framework advances the theoretical understanding of consumer resilience beyond simple successful versus unsuccessful adaptation. The study concludes with an integrated research agenda addressing theoretical, methodological, and contextual priorities for advancing scholarly understanding of consumer resilience.
... The cognitive process of emotion regulation has been proposed as one candidate mechanism underpinning why some individuals show more emotional resilience than others (Troy & Mauss, 2011). Emotion regulation is conceptualised as processes through which individuals modulate their emotions in response to environmental demands by deploying regulatory strategies to either modify the type of, or magnitude of, their emotional experience or of the emotion-eliciting event itself (Aldao et al., 2010). ...
Background
Research suggests that emotion regulation plays a critical role in emotional resilience, however due to inconsistencies with how emotional resilience has been operationalised, the exact nature of this relationship remains relatively unexplored. We examined two hypotheses across three distinct operationalisations: outcome-based, transient, and trait-based, recognising resilience as an outcome, a transient dynamic construct, and a perceived trait, respectively. Specifically, whether (1) a greater tendency to choose reappraisal relative to distraction or (2) a greater tendency to choose reappraisal aligned with the emotion regulation asymmetry phenomenon (i.e., reappraisal for low-intensity stimuli and distraction for high-intensity stimuli), was associated with greater emotional resilience, and whether these relationships were partially accounted for by effective downregulation.
Methods
Young undergraduate adults (final n = 113) attended an experimental session where each measure of emotional resilience was obtained. The outcome-based was measured using a residual approach, the transient measure through the degree of emotional recovery following exposure to a standardised stressor task in the lab and the trait-based measure using the Brief Resilience Scale. In a second session, participants viewed high and low intensity images and chose between reappraisal and distraction to downregulate negative emotions elicited by these stimuli. In some trials, participants were instructed to use either strategy. The effectiveness of these downregulation attempts was measured.
Results
A greater tendency to choose reappraisal over distraction, was associated with greater transient and trait-based measures, but not with the outcome-based measure. Reappraisal aligned to the emotion regulation asymmetry phenomenon was not related to emotional resilience.
Conclusions
Our findings are consistent with theory stating that tendency to choose reappraisal over distraction may contribute to emotional resilience. However, the differential associations evident suggest different mechanisms may relate to distinct operationalisations of this construct. Critically, the cross-sectional design of the current study limits inferences of causality and directionality. Future work replicating and extending on these findings across the distinct operationalisations are warranted.
... Well-being can be associated with psychological resilience, defined as a protective, emotional quality through which individuals can recover and bounce back from stress or setbacks (Burić et al., 2019;Clough & Strycharczyk, 2015). Resilience entails emotion regulation and mental toughness that help in coping with adverse emotional experiences and protecting individuals' well-being (Clough & Strycharczyk, 2015;Troy & Mauss, 2011). Recent socio-psychological accounts conceptualize resilience as a dynamic, multidimensional process that is influenced by the interaction between the person and the (social) environment over time (e.g., Burić et al., 2019;Proietti Ergün & Dewaele, 2021). ...
Positive psychology (PP) is currently employing its modern research toolkit to examine how individual differences of hedonic (i.e. pursuing pleasure, fun, and painlessness) versus eudaimonic (i.e. pursuing meaning, self-worth, and growth) well-being motives play out against emotional and learning challenges or outcomes in life. Similarly oriented, this study explored possible associations between these distinct positive motivations and second/foreign language (L2) learners’ intentional and emotional states of mindfulness and resilience, respectively, in their pursuit of learning goals in an English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) context. A cohort of 326 Iranian EFL learners rated themselves on four related well-being, mindfulness, and resilience questionnaires. The correlational results demonstrated significant positive relationships among L2 learners’ eudaimonic motives, resilience, and mindfulness. Similarly, hierarchical regression results revealed that eudaimonic motives significantly predicted the learners’ mindfulness and resilience. Further, complementary regression models indicated that the interrelationship among these psychological states was more linear-additive rather than interactive. It is then suggested that fostering L2 learners’ eudaimonic well-being orientation can potentially boost their emotion and attention regulation, albeit reciprocally. The findings supported interventions employing eudaimonic (or “scholastic”) well-being motives in L2 education.
... 54 Through social support and connection, resilience may aid in overcoming trauma. 55 It is also associated with self-regulation skills: [56][57][58] individuals with high resilience can manage emotions and develop effective coping strategies to navigate stress efficiently. 59 Moreover, people with high resilience can find positive experiences and perspectives even after trauma, contributing to the maintenance of their mental well-being. ...
Objective This study aimed to examine the psychiatric impact of the Seoul Halloween crowd crush on individuals related to the victims compared to the general population. It also explores the moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between trauma exposure and psychiatric symptoms.Methods In total, 2,220 participants completed various post-incident questionnaires (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Hwa-byung symptom scale, post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5, and Brief Resilience Scale) 30 days after the incident. Moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro in the statistical package for the social sciences.Results Individuals related to the victims exhibited higher symptom severity and a greater risk for clinically significant levels of depression, anxiety, anger, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (odds ratio=3.28, 3.33, 1.51, and 4.39 respectively). The impact of relevance to victims on anxiety and PTSD symptoms was moderated by resilience, with a stronger effect observed for individuals with low resilience (β=3.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.78–4.24 for anxiety and β=14.53, 95% CI 12.43–16.63 for PTSD) than for those with high resilience (β=1.69, 95% CI 0.72–2.65 for anxiety and β=8.33, 95% CI 5.56–11.09 for PTSD).Conclusion When related to the victims, it was found that not only PTSD, but also depression, anxiety, and anger could intensify. Resilience emerged as a potential buffer against these adverse effects, emphasizing its significance in mitigating the psychiatric impact of community trauma.
... Despite providing temporary pleasure, such coping mechanisms are ultimately detrimental strategies for stress management (Jackson & Knight, 2006). Moreover, research indicates that chronic and cumulative stress can disrupt self-regulatory processes, leading to deficient coping regulation skills, which, in turn, are associated with adverse health outcomes (Carver & Scheier, 1999;Evans & Kim, 2013;Troy & Mauss, 2011). ...
Psychological stress, coping process and mental health problems are established determinants for quality of life; however, little research has explored their interrelationships among low income individuals. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between perceived stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and quality of life and the mediating effects of coping strategies. It conducted a three-month prospective study on 210 low-income individuals in Malaysia. At baseline (T1), perceived stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and coping strategies were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, and the Brief-COPE 28, respectively. At follow-up (T2), the participants were administered the 36-Item Short Form Survey to assess quality of life. After controlling for covariates, perceived stress and anxiety and depressive symptoms are significantly associated with poorer subsequent physical and psychological aspects of quality of life. Confirming the hypothesis, maladaptive coping partially mediated the association between perceived stress and both domains of quality of life. The results also suggest that maladaptive coping may be one pathway by which experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression may exert a deleterious effect on psychological domain (but not for physical domain). The current study fails to find support regarding the direct and mediation effects of adaptive coping. Our prospective findings provide important practical implications for psychological and healthcare interventions for improving quality of life, especially in low-income populations.
... Resilience as a protective factor against childhood maltreatment, not only reduces the impact of childhood trauma on adult depression [54] but also lowers the risk of developing mental illness and enhances subjective well-being [55]. For individuals with childhood trauma, resilience can mitigate the effects of trauma [56] and regulate the impact of negative life events on depression [57]. ...
Background
The enduring and detrimental impact of childhood trauma on later health and well-being is now well established. However, research on the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms, along with the potential risk and protective factors, is insufficient in the context of Chinese college student population.
Methods
Data on childhood trauma, depressive symptoms, resilience, and subjective well-being were collected through surveys conducted with 367 Chinese university students. The data collected in this study were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS 3.5.
Results
The results revealed that subjective well-being mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms among college students, with direct and indirect effects accounting for 59.46% and 40.54% of the total effect, respectively. The pathway process between subjective well-being and depressive symptoms was moderated by resilience, whereby an increase in resilience levels corresponded to a gradual escalation in the predictive power of subjective well-being on depressive symptoms.
Conclusion
The study indicates that childhood trauma significantly and positively predicts depressive symptoms among college students, and it can also directly predict depressive symptoms through the mediating effect of subjective well-being. Elevating levels of psychological resilience and subjective well-being among college students can mitigate depression and promote psychological well-being. From the perspective of positive psychology, the present study provides a new perspective for the prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms among college students.
... The ability to control emotions helps to change the perception of an event and its meaning (Averill et al., 2018). Thus the farmers with faster mental recovery may be better able to reassess their initial reaction and consider additional relevant information, which helps to transform their negative reactions into more positive ones (Troy and Mauss, 2011). So they may be more able to restructure their farms or start new businesses. ...
CONTEXT: Uncertainty surrounds farming systems across Europe and strengthening their resilience lies at the centre of the European policy agenda. Although farming systems´resilience has been widely conceptualised, no consensus has been reached about assessing the contribution of farm and farmer attributes to farmers´perceived resilience by quantitative approaches. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand what farm(er) attributes and principles contribute to explain farmers´perceived resilience. Our specific objectives are to: i) develop a conceptual framework composed of attributes, principles and capacities to assess farms’ resilience, including farmer personal resilience as a resilience principle; ii) quantify links between farm attributes and resilience principles with farmers´perceived resilience capacities. METHODS: We developed a framework that includes different farm and farmer attributes grouped into resilience principles. We designed and conducted a structured survey to allow small ruminant farmers in Spain to self-assess their resilience attributes and capacities. We used structural equation modelling to assess to what extent resilience attributes and principles explain perceived robustness, adaptability, transformability capacities and overall resilience. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Farmers´perceived resilience can be explained by several resilience attributes and principles, including farmers’ personal resilience. Some attributes contribute similarly to robustness, adaptability and transformability, while others contribute particularly to each capacity. Farm diversity, tightness of feedbacks and farmers´personal resilience were key for explaining farmers´perceived resilience for small ruminant farming systems in Spain. In particular, farmer optimism, and farms’ ability to respond in different ways to challenges and to overcome difficulties in the past, were the attributes that most influenced resilience perceptions. Our results highlight the importance of farmer personality, in addition to farm characteristics, for understanding farmers’ resilience perceptions. SIGNIFICANCE: This study contributes to the development of quantitative farm resilience assessments by considering multiple farm attributes and also several farmers’ psychological attributes. Our framework provides a list of attributes and principles that can be applied to different farming systems. We provide a specific approach to identify the most relevant attributes and principles that drive perceived resilience in a large set of them that could guide farm and stakeholders’ decision making.
... Anxiety and tension, as well as a decline in mental health and wellness, have been linked to stressful life events (Baum, Singer, & Baum, 1983;Troy & Mauss, 2011). While experiencing prolonged stress, these emotions get associated with tension, hypochondria, depression, demoralisation, and helplessness (Butler, 1993). ...
Background COVID-19 is one of the most stressful life experiences worldwide in recent times. This has triggered common mental health problems among people. Given the impact and lacunae in existing literature, it is significant to understand the risks as well as protective factors associated with mental health.
Aims The study thus aimed to examine the role of stress and resilience in mental health in the general population during COVID-19.
Method A total of 397 individuals (192 males and 205 females) ranging from 18-40 years, participated in an online survey. Self-report measures Adult Self-Report Response to Stress Questionnaire (RSQ), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to examine the COVID-19 stress, resilience, and mental health, respectively. Pearson product moment correlation analysis was used to assess the associations between stress, resilience and mental health. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the predictors of mental health.
Results Results showed that stress and resilience significantly predicted mental health. This suggests that high stress leads to negative outcomes on mental health, and high resilience helps in coping with mental health issues. Results also showed that gender significantly predicted mental health. Specifically, females being more affected by mental health problems as compared to males.
Conclusion The study suggests that enhancing resilience and minimising stress may improve the mental health conditions of individuals during difficult times. Also, females were found to be more susceptible to mental health issues, therefore, special intervention programs should be designed for them.
... These instruments were designed with robust psychometric properties to ensure their validity and reliability in clinical settings for measuring key components of the therapy. By incorporating these tools into a comprehensive model, researchers and clinicians can better comprehend the intricate relationships between chronic pain, psychological adaptability, and emotion regulation, resulting in more effective therapeutic interventions (McCracken & Vowles, 2014;Troy & Mauss, 2011). Third, our study emphasizes the importance of evidence-based psychotherapy interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the treatment of mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. ...
In this article, we offer an exhaustive analysis of academic work on psychological flexibility using bibliometric techniques. We identify emerging trends in a dataset of 3535 scholarly articles from the Web of Science database. We highlight key publications, map out the field’s intellectual framework, and anticipate future research avenues through co-citation and co-word analytics. The co-citation assessment revealed five distinct clusters, while the co-word analysis showed three. Although research regarding psychological flexibility has gained recent popularity, there remains a need for more scholarly initiatives to achieve a nuanced understanding of this subject.
... The findings support the previous studies in which frequent use of both internal and external dysfunctional strategies was associated with a reduced quality of life (Ravens-Sieberer et al., 2001;, and external dysfunctional emotion regulation was associated with inhibition of emotions among adolescents (Christo et al., 2003). Other studies confirm that subjects with high internal emotion regulation are more likely to display resilience after adversity than those with low emotion regulation ability (Troy & Mauss, 2011). The basic postulates of PO dealt within the intervention of this study, viz., sensing unlimited possibilities, unconditional acceptance and unbounded expectancies have relevance to emotion regulation. ...
Adolescents from a low-socioeconomic rural background are confronted with several risk factors that thwart their positive adaptation. Hence, it is crucial not only to understand resilience but also to cultivate it among this target group. The current study aims to evaluate the efficacy of indigenous intervention, Probabilistic Orientation (P.O.) intervention in enhancing resilience among at-risk adolescents. PO, a culturally embedded construct was developed from ancient Tamil Sangam literature. It reflects the typical lifestyle of saints and seers of the Sangam era, and can be seen as a matured personality orientation. PO is considered the ‘inner guard of resilience’ because it provides a unique perspective to understand the life that nurtures resilience. The Youth Survey was administered to 490 students from four government schools in rural areas. The students with high scores on internalizing/externalizing problems from two rural government schools were recruited for investigation. The schools were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. In total, the sample consisted of 115 adolescents from rural low-socioeconomic background in the age group of 11-15 years (M = 12.66; SD = .81). There were 59 students in the experimental group and 56 students in the control group. A 12-week PO intervention was delivered to the participants in the experimental group. The participants from both experimental and control group were assessed using self-report measures of wisdom, emotion regulation, interpersonal competency, psychological well-being, probabilistic orientation, and psychological resilience at three time points (i.e., pre, post, and follow-up sessions). The data were analyzed using Friedman’s ANOVA. The results indicate that the PO intervention was effective in enhancing the psychological well-being and resilience in the participants. The findings support the need and usefulness of PO intervention for developing resilience and promoting psychological well-being among at-risk adolescents. The implications of the finding for research, practice, and policy are discussed.
Keywords: Probabilistic orientation, resilience, culturally embedded, indigenous intervention, at-risk adolescents.
... University life can be stressful and challenging, leading many students to be at risk of poor mental health (Storrie et al., 2010;Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2011;Sivertsen et al., 2019). Students who can effectively regulate and manage their emotions are expected to be more likely to demonstrate resilience in the face of stress (Troy and Mauss, 2011). However, when emotional responses are poorly regulated students may have difficulty coping, resort to maladaptive behaviors as a means of escape or temporary relief, and experience psychological distress. ...
Recent years have seen a deterioration in the mental health of university students and notable surge in the need for psychological support. Due to its links to psychopathology and high-risk behaviors, difficulty in emotion regulation frequently serves as a transdiagnostic dimension. This cross-sectional study used a person-centered analytical approach (latent profile analysis; LPA) to identify groups of Portuguese university students with similar profiles of emotion regulation difficulties (N = 261; Mage = 22.5 ± 1.2 years; n = 213 female) and describe how these groups differ in their presentation of repetitive negative thinking, internet addiction, and subjective wellbeing. The analyses identified four latent profiles: 14.5% of students showed global dysregulation (the Low Emotion Regulation Profile), 23% were moderately dysregulated with elevated problems in goal-directed behavior (the Moderate Emotion Regulation Profile), 8% showed specific difficulties with low emotional awareness and clarity (the Low Insight Profile), and 54.4% showed adaptive emotion regulation (the High Emotion Regulation Profile). As anticipated, the Low Emotion Regulation Profile had the lowest subjective wellbeing and the highest prevalence of repetitive negative thinking and internet addiction. Students with a Low Insight Profile also showed low subjective wellbeing, but less repetitive negative thinking compared to the Low Emotion Regulation Profile. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving health and wellbeing among university students should consider each student’s unique set of emotion regulation difficulties, rather than focusing on particular strategies. Further research may help determine whether emotion regulation profiles can serve as predictive indicators of varying mental health trajectories and subjective wellbeing in university students.
Positive emotions play an essential role in adolescent resilience and mental healthy development, yet whether it affects emotional resilience, mental health, and the internal mechanism remains unknown. Therefore, the current study aims to, using a two-wave panel design, examine the relationship between emotional resilience and mental health, as well as the mediating role of positive emotion. We conducted this longitudinal study in two waves with a 6-month interval, surveyed 266 Chinese adolescents (54.9% boys, Mage = 14.11 years, SD = 1.77), and constructed a mediation model. The participants completed the measures of demographic information, positive emotions, emotional resilience, and mental health at two times. The results revealed that after controlling for gender and age, Time 2 positive emotions partially mediated the relationship between Time 1 emotional resilience and Time 2 mental health. In detail, emotional resilience is positively correlated with life satisfaction, self-esteem, and overall mental health. It shows a negative correlation with symptoms of depression and anxiety, partly mediated by positive emotions. The findings highlighted the role of emotional resilience in mitigating psychological problems and enhancing mental health in Chinese adolescents. The implications and limitations were discussed.
This study investigated the relationships between school resilience strength, cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, and school engagement in high school students. A hypothetical model test was conducted for this purpose. This study was designed according to a predictive correlational model. Through convenience sampling, this study collected data from 456 (58.6% females; mean age = 16.04, SD = 1.154) high school students (studying in Ankara province. The school resilience scale, cognitive flexibility scale, emotional regulation scale for adolescents, and school engagement scale were used. The relationships between the variables were examined by testing the theoretical serial mediation model. The study showed that emotion regulation and school resilience had multiple serial mediating roles in cognitive flexibility and school engagement. Another finding was that cognitive flexibility predicts emotion regulation, emotion regulation predicts school resilience, and school resilience predicts school engagement. This study revealed that factors such as cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation affect high school students’ ability to recover at school and their school engagement regardless of the school climate. It also shows how emotion regulation and school resilience mediate the relationship between cognitive flexibility and school engagement. Mental health professionals such as school counselors and psychologists can focus on emotion regulation and cognitive flexibility to develop school resilience and school engagement in student clients. In addition, more studies can be conducted on the extent to which both individual factors and environmental factors such as school climate simultaneously affect school engagement.
This study is aimed at studying the psychological aspects of adolescents' personal readiness for change and their functional conditions. Modern teenagers face a lot of social and psychological changes, so their ability to adapt plays an important role. The main purpose of the study is to study the features of the current functional state and psychological readiness of adolescents for changes. The scientific and practical significance of the study lies in the fact that its results can be used to develop programs aimed at providing effective assistance to adolescents during psychological support and counseling. The results are especially relevant for improving methods of psychocorrection and stress management. In the course of the study, the methods "Fatigue – Monotony – Boredom – Stress" and "Personal change readiness survey" were used, assessing the functional conditions of adolescents and their readiness for change. The results showed a high level of mental fatigue and stress in adolescents, which has a negative impact on their adaptation. Despite the fact that most teenagers have a low level of qualities such as passion, resourcefulness, courage and adaptability, their optimism is at a very high level, and self-confidence and tolerance to uncertainty are manifested at an average level, which indicates the need for additional support and motivation for their development. The results of the study can also serve as a basis for practical recommendations to school psychologists and teachers on the development of emotional and psychological stability of students. This study contributes to the understanding of the main factors affecting the personal development of adolescents and their psychological stability, and also contributes to improving the effectiveness of psychological support programs in the educational process. Keywords: personal readiness, functional conditions, stress, fatigue, psychological stability.
Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of emotion-based therapy and therapy based on acceptance and commitment on disaster and mental well-being in people recovering from Covid-19 disease. Methods: The research was a quasi-experimental study of three groups (two experimental groups and one control group) with three stages (pre-test, post-test and quarterly follow-up). The statistical population included all those recovered from Covid-19 disease who were discharged from Imam Reza (AS) Hospital in Mashhad in the first three months of 2021. From this population, 45 people were selected by purposive sampling method based on purpose and using the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to three groups of 15 people (Experiment 1, Experiment 2 and Witness). Training group (1) received ten 90-minute sessions of emotion-based therapy and training group (2) received eight 90-minute sessions of acceptance-based therapy, while the training group did not receive a training certificate. The research instruments included Sullivan (2009) Disaster Questionnaire and Keys and Magyarmo (2003) Mental Well-Being Questionnaire. Data analysis method was performed using mixed measurement analysis of variance using spss22 software. Results: The results showed that the mean scores of disaster and mental well-being in the experimental groups compared to the control group in the post-test phase was significantly different (P <0.001). These results remained stable in the follow-up phase. The results also showed that no significant difference was found between the effectiveness of the two groups of emotion-based therapy and therapy based on acceptance and commitment. Conclusion: It can be concluded that emotion-based therapy and therapy based on acceptance and commitment can be considered as effective intervention methods in reducing disaster and promoting mental well-being in people recovering from Covid-19 disease.
Trauma exposure, poor diet, and low sleep quality are interconnected challenges with significant health implications, yet limited attention has been given to the moderating role of emotion regulation in these relationships. This study explored the moderating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between trauma exposure, diet, and sleep quality among adults in Uyo Metropolis, Nigeria. A total of 300 participants (172 males, 128 females), aged 18-39 years (M = 23.8), were purposively selected. They completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ), Diet and Behavior Scale (DABS), and Sleep Quality Scale (SQS). Data were analyzed using the Hayes regression-based PROCESS macro and Pearson's r statistic. Results revealed that trauma exposure was negatively associated with sleep quality, while diet and emotion regulation were positively associated with sleep quality. Additionally, emotion regulation moderated the relationship of trauma exposure, diet and sleep quality
This article provides mental health professionals (MHPs) with a conceptual framework to identify and describe the resilience interventions within a selected form of trauma therapy. The guide uses the practitioner–scholar model to facilitate MHPs’ ability to develop practice-based research to answer the question: How does the trauma therapy used in their clinical practices develop and restore resilience in identified clients? The proposed conceptual framework guides readers through a two-step process. The process involves conducting a literature review and aligning resilience domains with a treatment model. A case study example illustrates the practitioner–scholar conceptual framework situated within the literature focused on resilience. Limitations and implications of MHPs’ practice-based research endeavors are discussed.
Teaching is identified as a stressful occupation, with elevated levels of burnout among the profession. Research suggests that resilience may buffer against stress and psychological distress and potentially be a useful resource for this occupational group. This research aimed to identify mechanisms associated with trainee teachers' resilience across time. Using the cognitive model of resilience, we examined interpretation bias and emotion regulation as cognitive mechanisms associated with resilience. The study investigated whether these cognitive processes have an association with trainee teachers' resilience during teacher training and in the first year as teachers in two 1‐year longitudinal online studies. Study 1 commenced before COVID‐19 pandemic (September 2019), but ended during ongoing pandemic‐related restrictions. Study 2 was conducted as a replication study, commenced during COVID‐19 (May 2020). Resilience, short‐term stress, chronic perceived stress, and cognitive mechanisms (interpretation bias, emotion regulation) were assessed at baseline (during teacher training), with resilience and short‐term stress monitored at the 8‐month and 13‐month follow‐ups. Across both studies, cross‐sectional and longitudinal relationships were found between perceived stress, cognitive mechanisms, and resilience. Positive interpretation bias predicted trainee teachers' resilience across time, suggesting that it is likely to be a good target for interventions to promote resilience.
Veterans (Janbazan) suffer many physical and psychological injuries in their lives; therefore, it is important to evaluate their resilience against adversity. Based on this, the aim of the present research was to explain the mediating role of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between spiritual well-being and resilience in veterans (Janbazan) of Shahreza city. In terms of purpose, this research was applied and correlational research design was structural equation modeling. The population of veterans (Janbazan) of Shahreza city included 500 people, and 220 people were selected according to Morgan and Krejcie's table by the simple random sampling, and because of the drop in the sample due to non-response to the questionnaire, 200 people were finally selected as the sample. The research tools included the spirituality index of well-being by Daaleman and Frey (2005), cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire by Garnefski et al. (2001), and the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (2003), which were completed by the veterans (Janbazan). The analysis of the findings using the statistical method of Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS-23 software showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between all the variables except for the relationship between spiritual well-being and acceptance strategy
Background
Self-recording is an effective behavior change technology that has long been used in diverse health contexts. Recent technological advancements have broadened its applications. While previous studies have explored its role and benefits in enhancing self-awareness and informed decision-making, relatively little attention has been given to its potential to address the multidimensional nature of health with various health metrics.
Objective
This study investigates the process of self-recording in adolescent health, recognizing the connections between lifestyle behaviors and mental health. Specifically, we aim to incorporate both behavioral and emotional health metrics into the self-recording process. Grounded in self-regulation theory, we explore how adolescents record lifestyle behaviors and emotions, and how they inform and implement health management strategies.
Methods
We conducted a qualitative study using the grounded theory methodology. Data were collected through individual semistructured interviews with 17 adolescents, who recorded their emotions and behaviors over 4 weeks using a prototype application. Analysis followed iterative phases of coding, constant comparison, and theme saturation. This process revealed how adolescents engage in self-recording for behaviors and emotions, as well as their failures and potential system support strategies. We further examined the relevance of the identified themes to theoretical constructs in self-regulation theory.
Results
Under self-regulation theory, we gained insights into how adolescents manage their health through self-recording. The findings suggested variability in the self-recording process, in relation to specific health metrics of lifestyle behaviors and emotions. Adolescents focused on evaluating behaviors for management purposes while exploring the causes underlying emotional experiences. Throughout the health management, which involved modifying behavior or distancing from triggering factors, they monitored progress and outcomes, demonstrating a self-experimental approach. Uncertainty emerged as a barrier throughout the self-regulation process, suggesting that self-recording systems for adolescents should prioritize strategies to address these uncertainties. In addition, the self-recording system demonstrated interventional effects in aiding future planning and fostering a sense of relatedness among users.
Conclusions
This study offers a theoretical framework for adolescents’ self-recording process on diverse health metrics. By integrating self-regulation theory, we suggest a stepwise process from recording lifestyle behaviors and emotions to health management behaviors. Through exploring potential features and health-supportive effects, our findings contribute to the development of digital self-recording systems that address various health metrics in adolescent health.
Black Americans often face chronic exposure to racism, which can undermine psychological safety and alter neural function in regions implicated in processing emotions and regulating the body, potentially contributing to severe health inequities. This review explores the neural mechanisms through which systemic racism may perpetuate chronic stress, influencing physiological dysregulation and exacerbating health inequities. Addressing these deep-rooted issues necessitates dismantling systemic barriers and embedding safety-promoting cues in environments historically shaped by anti-Black racism—particularly within the healthcare and economic sectors. Recommended policies include (1) expanding access to quality healthcare, (2) enhancing cultural representation in healthcare to foster psychological safety, and (3) implementing socioeconomic initiatives aimed at building generational wealth and alleviating chronic stress. This paper presents a range of policy recommendations, spanning from immediate local actions to long-term federal goals, all designed to comprehensively address these challenges comprehensively. Recognizing the varying degrees of feasibility and support, these recommendations are crafted to offer both practical solutions and innovative, evidence-based strategies to significantly advance health equity.
This chapter explores the critical role of psychological resilience in business education, highlighting its impact on student success and well-being. It begins by considering the relationship between psychological resilience and important educational outcomes before examining the operationalization of psychological resilience and its nomological network. Subsequently, we explore the process of psychological resilience and how students can build it by investigating its theoretical underpinnings as they relate to business education. We then offer practical strategies to integrate resilience into curricula by examining common techniques to enhance resilience, including cognitive reappraisal, self-efficacy enhancement, and cognitive control training. Ultimately, the chapter advocates for a greater focus on fostering resilience in order to prepare students to thrive in a dynamic global environment.
Veterans (Janbazan) suffer many physical and psychological injuries in their lives; therefore, it is important to evaluate their resilience against adversity. Based on this, the aim of the present research was to explain the mediating role of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between spiritual well-being and resilience in veterans (Janbazan) of Shahreza city. In terms of purpose, this research was applied and correlational research design was structural equation modeling. The population of veterans (Janbazan) of Shahreza city included 500 people, and 220 people were selected according to Morgan and Krejcie's table by the simple random sampling, and because of the drop in the sample due to non-response to the questionnaire, 200 people were finally selected as the sample. The research tools included the spirituality index of well-being by Daaleman and Frey (2005), cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire by Garnefski et al. (2001), and the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (2003), which were completed by the veterans (Janbazan). The analysis of the findings using the statistical method of Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS-23 software showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between all the variables except for the relationship between spiritual well-being and acceptance strategy (P<0.01). In addition, the structural equation model in PLS-4 software indicated that the direct effect of spiritual well-being on resilience, and the direct effect of spiritual well-being on adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies are significant (P<0.05). Analyzing the indirect effects of spiritual well-being and resilience by five adaptive emotion regulation strategies demonstrated that only the strategy of refocusing on planning has a significant indirect effect as a mediator (P<0.05).
Keywords
Spiritual Well-Being Adaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Resilience Veterans (Janbazan)
Purpose
Depressive symptoms are associated with reduced processing of and memory for positive content. These cognitive biases maintain depressive states, and are presumed to be interrelated. This study examined the effect of a single-session training to process (or inhibit) positive stimuli, on memory of new emotional content.
Methods
Participants (N = 138) were randomly assigned to conditions designed to increase or inhibit processing of positive content. Then, they made self-referential judgments concerning positive, negative and neutral words. Lastly, they free-recalled the words and completed a depression questionnaire.
Results
Training was effective in directing participants’ processing efforts. However, the effect of the training on self-referential judgment and memory for new positive content was only significant when contingent on depression levels. Positive endorsement and recall biases were negatively affected by the positive training among participants with higher depression scores.
Conclusions
These findings shed light on possible adverse effects of extensive exposure to positive content in depression.
Changing how we feel can be adaptive, but it is also difficult and may require effort. There is research on what people want to achieve in emotion regulation (motivational content), but there is little research on how intensely people pursue what they want to achieve (motivational intensity). We tested the role of motivational intensity in emotion regulation, by assessing (Studies 1–2, Ns = 160 and 157) and manipulating (Study 3, N = 250) it in daily life. As predicted, when people were more motivated to make themselves feel better, they engaged more intensely in emotion-regulatory behaviors, experienced more desirable emotional experiences, and reported better psychological health. Furthermore, motivating people to make themselves feel better, increased their emotion-regulatory behaviors and led to better psychological health during COVID-19. Motivational intensity, therefore, may be an understudied factor facilitating emotional well-being.
Introduction
Personnel performance under stress hinges on various factors, including individual traits, training, context, mental and physiological states, and task demands. This study explored the link between the traits of military personnel and their performance outcomes in five domains: move, shoot, communicate, navigate, and sustain.
Methods
A total of 387 U.S. Army soldiers participated in this study, undergoing trait assessments covering physical, cognitive, social–emotional, demographic/lifestyle, and health domains. Performance was measured through lab and field events assessing a broad range of individual and team-level skills under conditions demanding resilience to acute cognitive and physical stress exposure. Analysis used feature selection and elastic net regression.
Results
Analyses revealed complex associations between traits and performance, with physical, cognitive, health-related, social–emotional, and lifestyle traits playing roles in guiding and constraining performance. Measures of resilience, emotion regulation, grit, and mindfulness were identified as relevant predictors of several performance-related outcomes.
Discussion
Results carry implications for the selection, training, and operational effectiveness of personnel in high-stakes occupations including military and first response. Further research is necessary to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations and inform targeted interventions to boost personnel effectiveness.
The aim of the current study was to examine a model of antecedents and consequences of emotional regulation with role of parent, and teacher autonomy support as well as perceived control in the students. Statistical population consisted of all female high school students of first grade in Tabriz city. The sample of the study was 313 students who were selected by cluster random sampling method. The instruments of the study consisted of perceptions of parent’s scales, learning climate questionnaire, academic control subscale, emotion regulation questionnaire, educational stress scale for adolescents and average of students. Structure equation modeling and bootstrapping procedures were used to examine the direct and indirect paths of proposed model. Results of the present study indicated that parent autonomy support and perceived control were antecedents, and academic achievement and academic stress were consequences of emotion regulation in students. Also, the findings indicated that indirect paths of parent autonomy support and perceived control with academic achievement and academic stress were significant with mediating role of emotion regulation. In addition, the direct path of teacher autonomy support with emotion regulation and its indirect paths with academic achievement and academic stress were not significant.
Introduction
The motivation process from personal resources to commitment of administrative employees is still little studied. This article uses the Job Demands-Resources model to investigate how the multiplicative effect of personal resources and a goal-oriented climate among public employees influences their satisfaction and engagement at work. Specifically, it proposes a model where the influence of psychological capital on engagement is mediated by job satisfaction and moderated by the goal orientation climate.
Method
A total of 326 employees of the administrative staff of a Spanish Public Administration answered a self-reported survey. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the data, as well as, to test the hypotheses formulated.
Results
The SEM results show the positive impact of psychological capital on employee engagement, and the mediating role of job satisfaction in this relationship. Furthermore, the existence of a goal-oriented climate negatively moderated the relationship between Psychological Capital and Job Satisfaction, reducing the mediation effect.
Discussion
These findings open new doors for future research in the necessary adaptation of human resource policies to improve the motivation process in the public administration context.
Background
Integrating stress-reduction interventions into the workplace may improve the health and well-being of employees, and there is an opportunity to leverage ubiquitous everyday work technologies to understand dynamic work contexts and facilitate stress reduction wherever work happens. Sensing-powered just-in-time adaptive intervention (JITAI) systems have the potential to adapt and deliver tailored interventions, but such adaptation requires a comprehensive analysis of contextual and individual-level variables that may influence intervention outcomes and be leveraged to drive the system’s decision-making.
Objective
This study aims to identify key tailoring variables that influence momentary engagement in digital stress reduction microinterventions to inform the design of similar JITAI systems.
Methods
To inform the design of such dynamic adaptation, we analyzed data from the implementation and deployment of a system that incorporates passively sensed data across everyday work devices to send just-in-time stress reduction microinterventions in the workplace to 43 participants during a 4-week deployment. We evaluated 27 trait-based factors (ie, individual characteristics), state-based factors (ie, workplace contextual and behavioral signals and momentary stress), and intervention-related factors (ie, location and function) across 1585 system-initiated interventions. We built logistical regression models to identify the factors contributing to momentary engagement, the choice of interventions, the engagement given an intervention choice, the user rating of interventions engaged, and the stress reduction from the engagement.
Results
We found that women (odds ratio [OR] 0.41, 95% CI 0.21-0.77; P=.03), those with higher neuroticism (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.39-0.81; P=.01), those with higher cognitive reappraisal skills (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.52-0.91; P=.04), and those that chose calm interventions (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.23-0.78; P=.03) were significantly less likely to experience stress reduction, while those with higher agreeableness (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.10-2.76; P=.06) and those that chose prompt-based (OR 6.65, 95% CI 1.53-36.45; P=.06) or video-based (OR 5.62, 95% CI 1.12-34.10; P=.12) interventions were substantially more likely to experience stress reduction. We also found that work-related contextual signals such as higher meeting counts (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.49-0.78; P<.001) and higher engagement skewness (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.51-0.79; P<.001) were associated with a lower likelihood of engagement, indicating that state-based contextual factors such as being in a meeting or the time of the day may matter more for engagement than efficacy. In addition, a just-in-time intervention that was explicitly rescheduled to a later time was more likely to be engaged with (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.32-2.38; P<.001).
Conclusions
JITAI systems have the potential to integrate timely support into the workplace. On the basis of our findings, we recommend that individual, contextual, and content-based factors be incorporated into the system for tailoring as well as for monitoring ineffective engagements across subgroups and contexts.
The present study prospectively examines associations between citizens’ perceived symbolic and realistic threat and mental health before and after refugee settlement in their neighbourhood. Citizens in two Amsterdam (the Netherlands) neighbourhoods participated in the study ( N = 280). A follow-up measurement after the settlement of refugees was conducted in one neighbourhood ( n = 66). Cross-sectional results confirm that higher levels of perceived symbolic and realistic threat were both associated with poorer mental health. A prospective longitudinal analysis showed no increase in realistic or symbolic threat, but mental health was poorer in citizens after refugee settlement. Higher threat perceptions among citizens in the area before the settlement of refugees predicted poorer mental health after the settlement. This association was stronger than the reverse association (poorer mental health predicting higher threat perceptions). Policymakers should consider experienced threat levels among citizens when developing and communicating refugee settlement policies.
Over recent decades, the science of teaching and learning has started to provide research-based guidance for educational practices as well as a growing collaboration between neuroscientists, practitioners, and psychologists to create a common language in neuro-educational theory and practice (Chang et al, 2021; Dubinsky et al, 2019; Zadina, 2015). This theoretical paper explores the developments of brain science research and its connection to teaching and learning, focusing on the fundamental and essential processes that schools should implement within the framework of the science of teaching and learning. It brings to the forefront the importance of the responsibility of practitioners on the neuroscience level, including everything from challenging the idea of fixed intelligence to content learning to thinking carefully about promoting and enhancing self-regulated learning, growth mindset, executive function skills, emotional intelligence, as well as memory training. Additionally, it highlights the pivotal role of sleep in the context of learner performance and the overall quality of the learning experience. Strategies that support well-being and their impact on the quality of learning are also addressed. This contribution serves to bridge the gap between educational theory and practice, affirming the integral role that neuroscience plays in enhancing the teaching and learning processes.
Resilient individuals are less likely to develop psychiatric disorders despite extreme psychological distress. This study investigated the multimodal structural neural correlates of dispositional resilience among healthy individuals. Participants included 92 healthy individuals. The Korean version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and other psychological measures were used. Gray matter volumes (GMVs), cortical thickness, local gyrification index (LGI), and white matter (WM) microstructures were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry, FreeSurfer, and tract-based spatial statistics, respectively. Higher resilient individuals showed significantly higher GMVs in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), increased LGI in the insula, and lower fractional anisotropy values in the superior longitudinal fasciculus II (SLF II). These resilience’s neural correlates were associated with good quality of life in physical functioning or general health and low levels of depression. Therefore, the GMVs in the IFG, LGI in the insula, and WM microstructures in the SLF II can be associated with resilience that contributes to emotional regulation, empathy, and social cognition.
Extrapolating from B. L. Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the authors hypothesized that positive emotions are active ingredients within trait resilience. U.S. college students (18 men and 28 women) were tested in early 2001 and again in the weeks following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Mediational analyses showed that positive emotions experienced in the wake of the attacks - gratitude, interest, love, and so forth - fully accounted for the relations between (a) precrisis resilience and later development of depressive symptoms and (b) precrisis resilience and postcrisis growth in psychological resources. Findings suggest that positive emotions in the aftermath of crises buffer resilient people against depression and fuel thriving, consistent with the broaden-and-build theory. Discussion touches on implications for coping.
Recent research has suggested strong relations between characteristic patterns of appraisal along emotionally relevant dimensions and the experience of specific emotions. However, this work has relied primarily upon ratings of remembered or imagined past events associated with the experience of relatively pure emotions. The present investigation is an attempt to examine cognitive appraisals and emotions during an emotional event in which subjects experience complex emotional blends. Subjects described both their cognitive appraisals and their emotional states just before taking a college midterm examination and, again, immediately after receiving their grades on the exam. Analysis of the ratings revealed that at both times the majority of subjects who felt emotion experienced complex blends of two or more emotions. Correlation and regression analyses indicated that even in the context of these blends, patterns of appraisal, highly similar to those discovered in our earlier research on remembered emotions (Smith & Ellsworth, 1985), characterized the experience of emotions as they were actually felt.
Identifying characteristics that distinguish youth who achieve adaptive outcomes in the face of adversity from those who do not has furthered our understanding of developmental psychopathology. However, accumulating evidence indicates that particular characteristics rarely serve exclusively risk or protective functions, that individuals who seem resilient on one index often do not seem so on other indices, and that individuals often are not equally resilient across contexts. These findings call for a dynamic conceptualisation of resiliency that can account for why the ways children cope with stressors vary across domain, development, and context. We organise resiliency research into a framework based on a recently proposed dynamic conceptualisation of personality (Mischel & Shoda, 1995). This framework assumes that understanding why some children show resilience in the face of adversity whereas others show difficulties requires identifying: (a) the content of and relational structure among relevant psychological mediators such as competencies, expectancies, values, and goals; and (b) the relation between these psychological mediators and relevant features of the environment. To illustrate the potential of this approach to further our understanding of resiliency, we examine and reconsider the link between IQ and conduct problems.
Recent developments in the study of cognitive emotion regulation illustrate how functional imaging is extending behavioral analyses. Imaging studies have contributed to the development of a multilevel model of emotion regulation that describes the interactions between neural systems implicated in emotion generation and those implicated in emotional control. In this article, we review imaging studies of one type of cognitive emotion regulation: reappraisal. We show how imaging studies have contributed to the construction of this model, illustrate the interplay of psychological theory and neuroscience data in its development, and describe how this model can be used as the basis for future basic and translational research.
In this study the authors examined both preventive psychological coping resources and negative mood regulation expectancies as potential mediators between parental attachment and two types of stress outcomes: stress symptoms and stress-produced emotions. Data were collected from 390 college students and separate structural equation models were tested for the outcomes of stress symptoms and emotions. Results suggested that for both models, as hypothesized, preventive resources and negative mood regulation expectancies functioned as mediators. Further, there was evidence that these results were similar for the model in which stress symptoms were used as an outcome, as well as the model in which stress-produced emotions were used as the outcome. Implications for a more complete understanding of psychological resources promoted by secure attachment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The objective of the present study was to examine relationships between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptomatology across different types of life event. A sample of 138 secondary school students filled out a questionnaire. They were asked to indicate their most negative life event ever. On the basis of their answers, 3 types of negative life event were distinguished: loss, health threat, and relational stress experience. No relationship was found between type of negative life event and depressive symptomatology. Significant relationships were found between type of negative life event and the cognitive strategies self-blame and other-blame. Adolescents with a health threat experience scored higher on self-blame, while adolescents with a relational stress event scored higher on other-blame than the other groups. Significant relationships were also found between depressive symptomatology and the cognitive strategies self-blame, rumination, positive reappraisal, putting into perspective, and catastrophizing. No interaction effects were found between type of negative life event and cognitive strategies, suggesting that relationships between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptomatology are consistent across different types of life event.
The promise of a new generation of therapies targeted to address neurobiological mechanisms thought to underlie psychological
disorders, particularly depression, using cognitive and behavioral techniques is discussed. Relationships between such neurobehaviorally
focused therapies and other psychological and rehabilitative interventions are also discussed. Their potential utility as
adjuncts to conventional treatment, and the importance of multi-method assessment in their evaluation are emphasized. Finally,
initial data from a neurobehavioral “cognitive control training” (CCT) adjunctive intervention for severe unipolar depression
is presented as an extended example. These data suggest that CCT aids in reducing both physiological mechanisms underlying
depression as well as depressive symptomatology.
The construct of trait emotional intelligence [trait EI] encompasses individual dispositions related to the perception, processing, regulation, and utilization of emotional information. These emotion-related dispositions are located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies. Prior studies found that trait EI promoted the utilization of adaptive coping strategies to regulate stress. The present study examined (1) whether this effect would extend to other emotions and (2) whether the coping styles used to regulate a given emotion would mediate the effect of trait EI on the propensity to experience that particular emotion. Analyses revealed that trait EI promoted the choice of adaptive strategies not only in the case of stress, but also anger, sadness, fear, jealousy, and shame. Trait EI also promoted the use of adaptive strategies to maintain joy. We also found that high trait EI individuals’ choice of adaptive strategies to down-regulate various negative emotions and maintain positive ones explained their decreased propensity to experience these negative emotions and their increased propensity to experience positive ones.
Individuals differ in their adjustment to stressful life events, with some exhibiting impaired functioning, including depression, while others exhibit impressive resilience. The present study examined the hypothesis that the ability to deploy a particularly adaptive type of emotion regulation-cognitive reappraisal-may be a protective factor. It expands upon existing research in three ways. First, participants' ability to use reappraisal (cognitive reappraisal ability: CRA) was measured by using a behavioral challenge that assessed changes in experiential and physiological domains, rather than questionnaires. Second, all participants had been exposed to one or more recent stressful life events, a context in which emotion regulation may be particularly important. Third, a community sample of 78 women aged 20 to 60 was recruited, as opposed to undergraduates. Results indicate that, at low levels of stress, participants' CRA was not associated with depressive symptoms. However, at high levels of stress, women with high CRA exhibited less depressive symptoms than those with low CRA, suggesting that CRA may be an important moderator of the link between stress and depressive symptoms.
Describes the development of a new instrument, the Life Experiences Survey (LES), for the measurement of life changes. The LES is a 57-item self-report measure that is divided into 2 sections: Section 1 consists of 47 items that refer to life changes in a wide variety of situations; Section 2 consists of 10 items that are designed primarily for use with students. It was designed to eliminate certain shortcomings of previous life stress measures and allows for separate assessment of positive and negative life experiences as well as individualized ratings of the impact of events. The reliability and possible sex differences of the LES are discussed, and the LES is compared with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, the Psychological Screening Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale, and the Schedule of Recent Experiences using undergraduate samples. Several studies bearing on the usefulness of the Life Experiences Survey are presented and the implications of the findings are discussed.
Measures of emotional health and styles of responding to negative moods were obtained for 137 students 14 days before the Loma Prieta earthquake. A follow-up was done 10 days again 7 weeks after the earthquake to test predictions about which of the students would show the most enduring symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress. Regression analysis showed that students who, before the earthquake, already had elevated levels of depression and stress symptoms and a ruminative style of responding to their symptoms had more depression and stress symptoms for both follow-ups. Students who were exposed to more dangerous or difficult circumstances because of the earthquake also had elevated symptom levels 10 days after the earthquake. Similarly, students who, during the 10 days after the earthquake, had more ruminations about the earthquake were still more likely to have high levels of depressive and stress symptoms 7 weeks after the earthquake.
The role of cognition--and to some extent motivation--in emotion, the ways meaning is generated, unconscious appraising, and the implications of this way of thinking for life-span development are addressed. It is argued that appraisal is a necessary as well as sufficient cause of emotion and that knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. This position is examined in light of what is known about emotions in infants and young children, the effects of drugs on acute emotions and moods, and recent patterns of thought about the brain in emotions. The discussion of how meaning is generated is the core of the article. Automatic processing without awareness is contrasted with deliberate and conscious processing, and the concept of resonance between an animal's needs and what is encountered in the environment is examined. The idea that there is more than one way meaning is achieved strengthens and enriches the case for the role of appraisal in emotion and allows the consideration of what is meant by unconscious and preconscious appraisal and the examination of how they might work.
108 undergraduates completed a stress questionnaire in class 2 days before the midterm, 5 days after the midterm and 2 days before grades were announced, and 5 days after grades were announced. Results show that for Ss as a whole, there were significant changes in emotions and coping (including the use of social support) across the 3 stages. Some Ss experienced seemingly contradictory emotions and states of mind during every stage of the encounter; Ss experienced both threat emotions and challenge emotions, reflecting ambiguity regarding the multifaceted nature of the examination and its meanings (especially during the anticipatory stage). Ss used combinations of most of the available forms of problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping at every stage. Problem-focused coping was more prominent in the anticipatory stage and distancing more prominent during the waiting stage. An analysis of selected appraisal and coping values, taking GPAs into account, explained about 48% of variance in threat and challenge emotions at the anticipatory stage. Including grade, 57% of the variance in positive emotions at outcome and 61% of negative emotions at outcome were explained. (49 ref)
In a longitudinal study of 253 bereaved adults, people with poorer social support, more concurrent stressors, and higher levels of postloss depression reported more rumination than people with better social support, fewer stressors, and lower initial depression levels. Women reported more rumination than men. People with a ruminative style at 1 month were more likely to have a pessimistic outlook at 1 month, which was associated with higher depression levels at 6 months. People with a more ruminative style were more depressed at 6 months, even after controlling for initial depression levels, social support, concurrent stressors, gender, and pessimism. Additional stressors and high depression scores at 1 month were also associated with higher levels of depression at 6 months.
Synopsis
One hundred and two first-year students at an independent college in Taiwan participated in a questionnaire study. Measurements of stressors (major life events, minor daily hassles and perceived university stress), personality (locus of control, extraversion and neuroticism) and mental health (depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms) were taken. Using multivariate analyses, we found that: (1) life events predicted anxiety, while daily hassles predicted depression; (2) locus of control and extraversion correlated negatively, while neuroticism correlated positively with university stress; and (3) neuroticism had a main effect on symptom reportings across the board, while extraversion had a vulnerability effect on somatic symptoms. Relationships between life events and daily hassles, and the roles of personality in the stress process, are discussed.
Stressful life events are associated with the onset of episodes of major depression. However, exposure to stressful life events is influenced by genetic factors, and these factors are correlated with those that predispose to major depression. The aim of this study was to clarify the degree to which stressful life events cause major depression.
The authors assessed the occurrence of 15 classes of stressful life events and the onset of DSM-III-R major depression over a 1-year period in female twins ascertained from a population-based registry. The sample contained 24,648 person-months and 316 onsets of major depression. Stressful life events were individually rated on contextual threat and dependence (the degree to which the stressful life event could have resulted from the respondent's behavior). The nature of the relationship between stressful life events and major depression was tested by 1) discrete-time survival analysis examining the relationship between dependence and the depressogenic effect of stressful life events and 2) a co-twin control analysis.
While independent stressful life events were significantly associated with onsets of depression, when level of threat was controlled, the association was significantly stronger for dependent events. The odds ratio for onset of major depression in the month of a stressful life event was 5.64 in all subjects, 4.52 within dizygotic pairs, and 3.58 within monozygotic pairs.
Stressful life events have a substantial causal relationship with the onset of episodes of major depression. However, about one-third of the association between stressful life events and onsets of depression is noncausal, since individuals predisposed to major depression select themselves into high-risk environments.
A field study investigated the ongoing use and effectiveness of self-regulation strategies for improving mood and the effects of a mood-regulation intervention. Thirty trainee teachers used pocket computers to complete ratings of their mood and their use of mood-regulation strategies every 2 hr during 2 weeks of a school placement. Cognitive distraction was the most frequently used strategy, but behavioral diversion and cognitive reappraisal were associated with the greatest improvements in reported mood. Neither avoidance nor venting was associated with mood improvements. Concurrent mood, mood awareness, and activity predicted the use of different regulation strategies. Half of the participants were instructed to use engagement strategies and the other half diversion strategies during the middle 6 days of the study. The engagement group reported significantly higher levels of cheerfulness during this intervention.
This paper presents a critical appraisal of resilience, a construct connoting the maintenance of positive adaptation by individuals despite experiences of significant adversity. As empirical research on resilience has burgeoned in recent years, criticisms have been levied at work in this area. These critiques have generally focused on ambiguities in definitions and central terminology; heterogeneity in risks experienced and competence achieved by individuals viewed as resilient; instability of the phenomenon of resilience; and concerns regarding the usefulness of resilience as a theoretical construct. We address each identified criticism in turn, proposing solutions for those we view as legitimate and clarifying misunderstandings surrounding those we believe to be less valid. We conclude that work on resilience possesses substantial potential for augmenting the understanding of processes affecting at-risk individuals. Realization of the potential embodied by this construct, however, will remain constrained without continued scientific attention to some of the serious conceptual and methodological pitfalls that have been noted by skeptics and proponents alike.
This study reports a cross-sectional investigation of the relation between community violence exposure and peer group social maladjustment in 285 inner-city children in Grades 4-6 (mean age = 10.3 years). Children completed an inventory assessing exposure to community violence through witnessing and through direct victimization. A peer nomination inventory was then administered to assess social adjustment with peers (aggression, peer rejection, and bullying by peers). In addition, social-cognitive biases and emotion regulation capacities were examined as potential mediators. Analyses indicated that violent victimization was associated with negative social outcomes through the mediation of emotion dysregulation. Witnessed violence was linked only to aggressive behavior. Social information processing, rather than emotion dysregulation, appeared to mediate this association. These results demonstrate that violence exposure is linked to multiple levels of behavioral and social maladjustment and suggest that there are distinct patterns of risk associated with different forms of exposure.
Although it is well-established that vulnerability to negative emotion is associated with attentional bias toward aversive information, the causal basis of this association remains undetermined. Two studies addressed this issue by experimentally inducing differential attentional responses to emotional stimuli using a modified dot probe task, and then examining the impact of such attentional manipulation on subsequent emotional vulnerability. The results supported the hypothesis that the induction of attentional bias should serve to modify emotional vulnerability, as revealed by participants' emotional reactions to a final standardized stress task. These findings provide a sound empirical basis for the previously speculative proposal that attentional bias can causally mediate emotional vulnerability, and they suggest the possibility that cognitive-experimental procedures designed to modify selective information processing may have potential therapeutic value.
1. Introduction The study of emotion Types of evidence for theories of emotion Some goals for a cognitive theory of emotion 2. Structure of the theory The organisation of emotion types Basic emotions Some implications of the emotions-as-valenced-reactions claim 3. The cognitive psychology of appraisal The appraisal structure Central intensity variables 4. The intensity of emotions Global variables Local variables Variable-values, variable-weights, and emotion thresholds 5. Reactions to events: I. The well-being emotions Loss emotions and fine-grained analyses The fortunes-of-others emotions Self-pity and related states 6. Reactions to events: II. The prospect-based emotions Shock and pleasant surprise Some interrelationships between prospect-based emotions Suspense, resignation, hopelessness, and other related states 7. Reactions to agents The attribution emotions Gratitude, anger, and some other compound emotions 8. Reactions to objects The attraction emotions Fine-grained analyses and emotion sequences 9. The boundaries of the theory Emotion words and cross-cultural issues Emotion experiences and unconscious emotions Coping and the function of emotions Computational tractability.
Until recently, resilience among adults exposed to potentially traumatic events was thought to occur rarely and in either pathological or exceptionally healthy individuals. Recent research indicates, however, that the most common reaction among adults exposed to such events is a relatively stable pattern of healthy functioning coupled with the enduring capacity for positive emotion and generative experiences. A surprising finding is that there is no single resilient type. Rather, there appear to be multiple and sometimes unexpected ways to be resilient, and sometimes resilience is achieved by means that are not fully adaptive under normal circumstances. For example, people who characteristically use self-enhancing biases often incur social liabilities but show resilient outcomes when confronted with extreme adversity. Directions for further research are considered.
There is growing interest in positive aspects of the stress process, including positive outcomes of stress and antecedents that dispose individuals to appraise stressful situations more as a challenge than as a threat. Less attention has been given to the adaptational significance of positive emotions during stress or to the coping processes that sustain positive emotions. We review evidence for the occurrence of positive emotions under conditions of stress, discuss the functional role that positive emotions play under such conditions, and present three types of coping that are associated with positive emotion during chronic stress. These findings point to new research questions about the role of positive emotions during stress and the nature of the coping processes that generate these positive emotions.
Research has yielded conflicting views of the adaptiveness of optimistic beliefs in confronting negative events and information. To test whether optimism functions like denial, the authors examined the prospective relation of optimistic beliefs to attention to threatening health information presented by computer in a college student sample (N= 57). Optimistic beliefs about one's health predicted greater attention to risk information than to neutral or benefit information and greater levels of recall overall, especially when the information was self-relevant. Results concerning attention to risk information were similar, but weaker, for dispositional optimism. Implications for theoretical treatments of optimistic beliefs are discussed.
The current paper expands the concept of stressors to include two distinct types: recent (proximal) stressors and more distant (distal) stressors. It then examines the role played by these two types of stressors in an expanded model of the life stress process. In expanding the life stress model to include stressors occurring over a longer period of time, the paper first examines the ability of distal stressors to increase the variance explained in depressive symptomatology above and beyond that explained by the more traditional model variables: recent stressors and social support. In modeling distal stressors in the life stress process, two models are tested: (1) an independent model in which stressors and resources are examined for their independent effects on distress, and (2) a deterioration model in which stressors are seen to affect subsequent levels of support, which then serve to increase depression. Analysis showed that distal stressors make a significant and independent contribution to explaining variations in depressive symptomatology, above and beyond that explained by more recent stressors and social support. Support was found for both the independent model and the deterioration model of the life stress process. Distal stressors, proximal stressors, and social support have an independent effect on current depression. Further, distal stressors and proximal stressors erode current levels of support, which in turn impact on current levels of depression. The implications of these and other findings are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
This study investigates inhibitory dysfunctions in the processing of emotional material and their relation to depressive symptomatology and vulnerability. In a series of three experiments, a negative priming task with positive and negative distractor and target words was presented. The negative priming task makes it possible to assess the degree of inhibition of activated but nongoal‐relevant stimulus representations. Results indicate that participants with elevated depression scores fail to show negative priming in affective evaluation and self‐reference tasks. Moreover, participants reporting a history of major depressive episodes fail to show negative priming when asked to respond to the valence or self‐descriptiveness of emotional stimuli. The obtained results are in line with the hypothesis that depression is associated with an inhibitory deficit for negative information. Implications of these results for research on selective attention in depression are discussed.
Replicated previous findings (e.g., R. S. Lazarus et al, 1965) that cognitive appraisal reduced stress reactions. 40 university students viewed a film depicting 3 factory accidents (ACs). 20 Ss heard an introductory statement to promote a detached, analytical attitude toward the ACs (intellectualization orientation [IO]), and 20 heard an introduction that informed them of the content of the film (control orientation [CO]). Compared with CO Ss, IO Ss demonstrated lower stress as revealed through galvanic skin response. An arousal and memory effect was also replicated: Ss were less accurate in responding to questions pertaining to AC than to non-AC questions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The relationship between exercise, dispositional optimism assessed with the life orientation test (LOT, Scheier et al., 1994) and recall of personally more or less useful information was analyzed. After assessment of individual differences in optimism and the intensity of exercising, participants responded to an immediate and a one-week delayed recall test of personally relevant versus irrelevant information. Regression analyses found in support of the hypothesis that attention to and hence recall of health-related information is determined by the extent of its personal relevance; that relevant health-related information was better remembered than irrelevant information, and that this was especially the case for highly active exercisers. Most important, memory for relevant health-related information was best for highly active exercisers who simultaneously scored high in optimism. A delayed recall test found that these findings remained basically stable for one week.
The emerging field of emotion regulation studies how individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them. This review takes an evolutionary perspective and characterizes emotion in terms of response tendencies. Emotion regulation is defined and distinguished from coping, mood regulation, defense, and affect regulation. In the increasingly specialized discipline of psychology, the field of emotion regulation cuts across traditional boundaries and provides common ground. According to a process model of emotion regulation, emotion may be regulated at five points in the emotion generative process: (a) selection of the situation, (b) modification of the situation, (c) deployment of attention, (d) change of cognitions, and (e) modulation of responses. The field of emotion regulation promises new insights into age-old questions about how people manage their emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
The response styles theory (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991) was proposed to explain the insidious relationship between rumination and depression. We review the aspects of the response styles theory that have been well-supported, including evidence that rumination exacerbates depression, enhances negative thinking, impairs problem solving, interferes with instrumental behavior, and erodes social support. Next, we address contradictory and new findings. Specifically, rumination appears to more consistently predict the onset of depression rather than the duration, but rumination interacts with negative cognitive styles to predict the duration of depressive symptoms. Contrary to original predictions, the use of positive distractions has not consistently been correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in correlational studies, although dozens of experimental studies show positive distractions relieve depressed mood. Further, evidence now suggests that rumination is associated with psychopathologies in addition to depression, including anxiety, binge eating, binge drinking, and self-harm. We discuss the relationships between rumination and worry and between rumination and other coping or emotion-regulation strategies. Finally, we highlight recent research on the distinction between rumination and more adaptive forms of self-reflection, on basic cognitive deficits or biases in rumination, on its neural and genetic correlates, and on possible interventions to combat rumination.
© 2008 Association for Psychological Science.
This study evaluated how strongly total stress and stress reactivity to minor stressors were correlated with depressed mood in traditional and non-traditional college women (n = 146). Stress reactivity, which was conceptualized as mean stress per stressor, accounted more strongly than number of potentially stressful encounters for total stress, and was more strongly correlated than total stress with symptoms of depressed mood, after controlling for initial depressed mood and neuroticism. Reactivity was associated with greater use of avoidance coping and higher levels of neuroticism, which suggest that it may represent a stable individual difference and possibly serve as a predictor of depressed mood, especially in response to minor stressors. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Resilience is a term used to describe relative resistance to psychosocial risk experiences. There is abundant evidence that there is enormous variation in children's responses to such experiences but research to determine the processes underlying the variations needs to take account of several crucial methodological issues. The findings emphasize that multiple risk and protective factors are involved; that children vary in their vulnerability to psychosocial stress and adversity as a result of both genetic and environmental influences; that family-wide experiences tend to impinge on individual children in quite different ways; that the reduction of negative, and increase of positive, chain reactions influences the extent to which the effects of adversity persist over time; that new experiences which open up opportunities can provide beneficial ‘turning- point’ effects; that although positive experiences in themselves do not exert much of a protective effect, they can be helpful if they serve to neutralize some risk factors; and that the cognitive and affective processing of experiences is likely to influence whether or not resilience develops. The implications of these findings for family therapy are considered in terms of the need for therapists to look carefully at the ways in which different risk factors interact; to assess and take account of individual differences in susceptibility; to consider the extent to which risk factors impinge on the individual and, in that connection, to note the importance of patterns of social interaction outside as well as inside the family; to appreciate the role of both the peer group and individual characteristics in the development of negative and positive chain reactions; and to pay attention to the ways in which individuals process their experiences.
Cognitive models of depression typically emphasize cognitive schemas as important variables in the depression process. To
date, evidence of these schemas is difficult to detect in remitted depressed individuals unless they have specifically been
activated by factors such as negative moods. The present study tested one aspect of schema activation, attentional allocation,
in individuals who had previously experienced a major depressive episode. Using a dichotic listening task to assess attention
to negative and positive stimuli, results indicated no differences in non-mood-primed subjects. For subjects who had been
primed by a negative mood induction, formerly depressed individuals evidenced greater error rates for both negative and positive
stimuli, while never-depressed subjects evidenced decreased error rates for negative and positive stimuli. These results appear
to suggest a schema activation process that is emotionally diffuse but unique to individuals at risk for depression.
The present study was designed to examine attentional functioning in dysphoric and nondysphoric individuals. A paradigm was used that permits an examination of processes involved in both affective interference and affective inhibition. While processing neutral stimuli, dysphoric participants exhibited both elevated interference and an inhibitory bias for negative, but not for positive, distractors. In contrast, nondysphoric participants did not demonstrate either interference for, or inhibition of, positive or negative distractors. Moreover, across all participants, level of interference was related to level of inhibition. Implications of these results for understanding the processing of emotional information in dysphoria and depression are discussed and directions for future research are advanced.
Past research has shown that rumination exacerbates dysphoric mood whereas distraction attenuates it. This research examined
whether the practice of mindfulness meditation could reduce dysphoric mood even more effectively than distraction. A dysphoric
mood was induced in 139 female and 38 male participants who were then randomly assigned to a rumination, distraction, or meditation
condition. As predicted, participants instructed to meditate reported significantly lower levels of negative mood than those
in either of the two other conditions. Distraction was associated with a lessening of dysphoric mood when compared to rumination
but was not as effective as mindfulness meditation. The implications of these findings are discussed.
This study examined relations between stress and coping predictors and negative and positive outcomes in MS caregiving. A total of 222 carers and their care-recipients completed questionnaires at Time 1 and three months later, Time 2 (n = 155). Predictors included care-recipient characteristics (age, time since diagnosis, course and life satisfaction), and Times 1 and 2 carer problems, stress appraisal and coping. Dependent variables were Time 2 negative (anxiety, depression) and positive outcomes (life satisfaction, positive affect, benefits). Regressions indicated that, overall, the hypothesised direct effects of stress appraisal and coping strategies on positive and negative outcomes were supported. The hypothesised stress-buffering effects of positive reframing coping were also supported. All but one of the coping strategies were related to both positive and negative outcomes; specifically, practical assistance coping emerged as a unique predictor of distress. Of the model predictors, care-recipient life satisfaction emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of both positive and negative outcomes except benefit finding. Findings support the role of care-recipient characteristics and the carers appraisal and coping processes in shaping both positive and negative outcomes. The guiding framework and findings have the potential to inform interventions designed to promote well-being in carers.
Three studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that effort exerted under conditions of high task orientation or in response to a difficult task can neutralize previously induced negative and positive moods. In the first study a negative or neutral mood was induced in subjects through exposure to film clips with either a sad or neutral content. Then, in an allegedly unrelated experiment subjects exerted effort in preparation for an upcoming task. Half were told that effort was instrumental for their performance on the subsequent task (high task orientation); the other half were told that effort was only weakly related to performance (low task orientation). Subjects in whom a negative mood had been induced reported feeling better after having engaged in the instrumental effort than subjects who had engaged in the noninstrumental effort. Study 2 explored the impact of task effort on positive mood. As hypothesized, high task orientation had a detrimental effect on previously induced positive moods. In Study 3, the processing demands of the task were manipulated directly (rather than through subjects' orientation toward the task). The results showed that subjects who completed a cognitively difficult task reported fewer mood-related thoughts and a more attenuated mood than subjects who performed a simple task or no task. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for mood maintenance and mood repair.
Aim of this study was to study relationships between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms. Five specific samples (ranging from adolescents to elderly) were compared on their reported use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies (Rumination, Catastrophizing, Self-blame, Other-blame, Acceptance, Positive Reappraisal, Putting into Perspective, Positive Refocusing, Planning) and on the relationships between these strategies and symptoms of depression. Although remarkable differences were found in reported strategies, relationships between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and symptoms of depression were shown to be similar between the five groups.
A new questionnaire, named the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, has been constructed, measuring nine cognitive coping strategies people tend to use after having experienced negative life events. A test–retest design was used to study the psychometric properties and relationships with measures of depression and anxiety among 547 high school youngsters. Principal component analyses supported the allocation of items to subscales, while alphas of most subscales exceeded 0.80. Cognitive coping strategies were found to play an important role in the relationship between the experience of negative life events and the reporting of symptoms of depression and anxiety. The results suggest that cognitive coping strategies may be a valuable context of prevention and intervention
A modified version of the attentional deployment task developed by MacLeod, Mathews and Tata (1986) [Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 15–20] was used to examine two issues: first, whether there was any evidence of attentional bias in depressed subjects, rather than in anxious subjects alone; and second, whether attentional effects would occur in the location of stimuli that could not be identified. Subjects were presented with pairs of words, one above the other, and the extent to which attention favored threatening rather than neutral words was assessed from the latency to detect a dot in the same location of one them. These detection latencies showed that depressed, but not anxious subjects, were selectively attentive to socially threatening words. There was also evidence for attentional effects in the anxious subjects favoring physically threatening words. Furthermore, panic disorder patients were preferentially attentive to the location of physically-threatening stimuli that could not be accurately identified. Overall, the results provide further evidence that emotionally disturbed subjects tend to orient attention towards personally-relevant emotional stimuli. However, the previous hypothesis that this attentional bias occurs only in anxiety, and not in depression, was not supported.
Examined the variability of the emotional responses to the given situation
and the extent to which the specific reaction can be predicted on
the basis of the dimensions or criteria of situation evaluation suggested
by appraisal theorists. 112 airline passengers reporting their luggage
lost to the baggage retrieval service in a major international airport
were interviewed after their interaction with an airline agent. Ss
were asked to rate their emotional state before and after the interaction
with the agent and to provide information on how they had appraised
the situation. Ss responded to the situation with complex emotional
reactions that required the use of several different emotion labels.
The most important factor in determining the Ss' emotional reaction
to loss of baggage is the subjectively evaluated importance of the
loss in the context of the pertinent goals and plans at the moment.
On the whole, the data supports the major assumption of appraisal
theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)
Previous research has established that high levels of trait anxiety commonly are associated with an automatic pattern of encoding selectivity, operating to favour the processing of emotionally threatening information. It has been suggested that this processing bias may play a functional role in mediating emotional vulnerability by moderating affective responses to stressful real life events. The current experiment employs a longitudinal design, capable of addressing the central predictions arising from this theoretical position. Thirty-one women awaiting colposcopy investigation were screened on both traditional questionnaire measures of emotional vulnerability, and on a modified emotional Stroop task that provided objective indices of their automatic and strategic patterns of processing selectivity. Subsequently, those 15 women who later received a diagnosis of cervical pathology reported the degree to which this diagnosis had impaired their level of emotional functioning. The results confirm that, at the initial test time, trait anxiety was indeed associated with an apparently automatic tendency to selectively process threat related distractor information. Furthermore, an index of this initial pattern of automatic processing selectivity was consistently the best predictor of the intensity of emotional distress elicited by the subsequent diagnosis of cervical pathology. None of our conventional questionnaire measures were capable of significantly predicting this later emotional response. We suggest that these findings offer empirical support for the hypotheses that patterns of automatic processing selectivity may moderate individuals' emotional responses to stressful life events.
Attentional biases were assessed with a probe detection task in anxious (N = 17), depressed (N = 17) and normal control (N = 15) subjects. Word pairs were presented visually, with a dot probe following one word of each pair. Allocation of attention to the spatial position of the words was determined from response latencies to the probes. Half the word pairs were presented supraliminally, half subliminally. The anxious and depressed groups showed an attentional bias towards supraliminal negative words, in comparison with normal controls. The depressed group unexpectedly showed greater vigilance for supraliminal anxiety-relevant words than the anxious group. The anxious group shifted their attention towards the spatial location of negative words presented subliminally. The results support the hypothesis of an anxiety-related bias in preconscious processes.
Two studies investigated the relationship between attentional biases for negative information and dysphoria--both induced (Study 1) and naturally occurring (Study 2). In a modified dot probe task a series of word pairs was presented, and Ss responded to probes that replaced one of the words in each pair. The stimuli included depression-related, anxiety-related and neutral words. To examine the time course of the attentional biases, there were three exposure durations of the word pairs: 14 ms (+ 186 ms mask); 500 ms and 1000 ms. In Study 1, the depressed mood induction procedure was associated with greater vigilance for depression-related words at 500 ms, with a similar trend at 1000 ms. In Study 2, measures of depressed mood and vulnerability correlated positively with vigilance for negative words in the 1000 ms condition. There was no evidence from either study that depressed mood was associated with a pre-conscious bias for negative words (i.e. in the 14 ms masked exposure condition). However, this pre-conscious bias was associated with high trait anxiety in Study 2, consistent with previous research. The results are discussed in relation to theoretical and empirical work on cognitive biases in clinical and non-clinical anxiety and depression.
Stressful life events are known to precipitate major depression. However, it remains unclear why some individuals who experience adverse events develop depression whereas others do not, and how the occurrence of life events affects treatment outcome. Emerging models posit that the effect of adverse life events varies by cognitive-personality style. This study examines the direct and interactive effects of stressful life events and cognitive-personality style in predicting 1) episode onset in patients with DSM-IV unipolar depression versus community comparison subjects and 2) depressive symptom severity at the completion of a 6-week standard antidepressant regimen.
Multivariate models were used to test the effects of adverse life events, cognitive-personality style, and the congruence of event type (interpersonal versus achievement) with cognitive-personality style on depressive onset and treatment outcome in 43 patients with major depression and 43 healthy comparison subjects. Cognitive-personality characteristics were assessed by using Beck's measures of sociotropy (interpersonal dependency) and autonomy (need for independence and control).
Adverse life events, sociotropy, and an autonomy factor need for control were each significantly related to depressive onset and predicted group status for 88% of the subjects. Event types affected outcome differently, and specific life event types interacted with cognitive-personality styles in predicting response to treatment. A multivariate model accounted for 65% of the variance in predicting outcome.
Adverse life events are a potent factor in predicting depression. However, cognitive-personality characteristics also confer susceptibility to depression. Better outcome is associated with occurrence of adverse interpersonal events (e.g., death of a loved one) rather than adverse achievement events (e.g., loss of job) and occurs when the event type is congruent with cognitive-personality style.
Despite the prominence of emotional dysfunction in psychopathology, relatively few experiments have explicitly studied emotion regulation in adults. The present study examined one type of emotion regulation: voluntary regulation of short-term emotional responses to unpleasant visual stimuli. In a sample of 48 college students, both eyeblink startle magnitude and corrugator activity were sensitive to experimental manipulation. Instructions to suppress negative emotion led to both smaller startle eyeblinks and decreased corrugator activity. Instructions to enhance negative emotion led to larger startle eyeblinks and increased corrugator activity. Several advantages of this experimental manipulation are discussed, including the use of both a suppress and an enhance emotion condition, independent measurement of initial emotion elicitation and subsequent regulation of that emotion, the use of a completely within-subjects design, and the use of naturalistic emotion regulation strategies.
To review recent empirical prospective studies on the relation between life event stressors and depression.
A systematic literature search focusing on predictive studies was carried out from 1980 to early 2001 using Medline, Embase and PsychInfo.
The empirical findings for the most part support clinical impressions of the relation of stressors to depression but at the same time provide some clearer understanding in relation to differences of stressor impact on depression type and on index episode, relapse or recurrence. Twin studies now provide the strongest evidence of the relative magnitude of effect of environmental stressors and genetic factors: the former explains at least as much of the variance in depression as our genes.
Continuing research into life events and depression have been fruitful especially those studies assessing the effect of stressors in combination with other aetiological variables such as genetic factors.