Poster #84 - Impact of Emotion Dysregulation on Affect in the Context of Daily Stress in Adolescence

• In Event: Poster Session 20

Abstract

Introduction
Emotion dysregulation is a risk factor and transdiagnostic symptom of pediatric mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression (Cisler et al., 2010; Joormann & Stanton, 2016), and has been associated with negative affect (Bradley et al., 2011). This relationship is particularly salient in adolescence–a sensitive period of development marked by increased social and emotional stress associated with peak onset of mental illness (Kessler et al., 2007). Studies of adults have found increased stress to be associated with maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) and increased negative affect (Boemo et al., 2022). However, much of this previous work has utilized retrospective reports and has focused on specific ER strategies (e.g., suppression, reappraisal), rather than emotion regulation ability. Understanding how ER impacts affective responses to acute stress is an important step towards elucidating emotional and cognitive functioning during adolescence. The present study utilizes intensive, longitudinal data collected from adolescents to examine: 1) whether acute stressful events predict negative affect; and 2) whether and how emotion dysregulation exacerbates the relationship between daily stress and negative emotionality among adolescents. We predicted that emotion dysregulation would strengthen the relationship between daily stress and negative affect.

Methods
Participants were 88 adolescents (43 female; ages 14-16) who completed an intensive longitudinal study on their daily psychosocial and emotional experiences. The Brief Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16; Bjureberg et al., 2016) was collected during the initial comprehensive evaluation and was used to measure individuals’ difficulties understanding, accepting, and modulating their emotions. Participants then completed daily diaries for one week about stressful events and negative and positive emotions, using the Brief Adolescent Life Event Scale (Shahar et al., 2003) and the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Short Form (Thompson, 2007), respectively. A series of multiple linear regression models were conducted to evaluate the effects of emotion dysregulation on negative emotionality in the context of acute stressful life experiences.

Results
Linear regression models revealed that acute stressful events predicted negative affect, F(2, 85) = 31.2, p < .001. Additionally, moderation analyses showed that total emotion dysregulation statistically significantly strengthened the relationship between daily stressful experiences and negative affect, F(4, 83) = 24.82, p < .001. Further, emotional nonacceptance, a specific emotion regulation difficulty measured by the DERS-16, revealed a significant moderation on this relationship, F(4, 83) = 27.25, p < .001.

Conclusion
This finding that emotion dysregulation moderates the relationship between acute stress and negative emotionality suggests that difficulty regulating emotion is a significant risk factor for negative mental health outcomes during this critical time of psychosocial development. Due to these promising preliminary results, the final presentation will utilize hierarchical linear modeling for a more nuanced investigation of daily stressful and emotional experiences. Overall, this study begins to elucidate the negative impact of maladaptive emotional responses to stressful experiences on emotional well-being among adolescents. This understanding may inform more individualized support for youth to help mitigate the negative effects of everyday stressors.

Authors

• Margaret Suzanne Benda, Fordham University
  Presenting Author

• Cristina L Nardini

• Elizabeth Raposa, Fordham University