title: Delineating components of emotion and its dysregulation in anxiety and mood psychopathology.
abstract: Two studies sought to elucidate the components of emotion and its dysregulation and examine their role in both the overlap and distinctness of the symptoms of 3 highly comorbid anxiety and mood disorders (i.e., generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, and social anxiety disorder). In Study 1, exploratory factor analyses demonstrated that 4 factors--heightened intensity of emotions, poor understanding of emotions, negative reactivity to emotions, and maladaptive management of emotions--best reflected the structure of 4 commonly used measures of emotion function and dysregulation. In Study 2, a separate sample provided support for this 4-factor model of emotion dysregulation. Poor understanding, negative reactivity, and maladaptive management were found to relate to a latent factor of emotion dysregulation. In contrast, heightened intensity of emotions was better characterized separately, suggesting it may relate more strongly to dispositional emotion generation or emotionality. Finally, the 4 components demonstrated both common and specific relationships to self-reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, and social anxiety disorder.
authors: Departmentof Psychology, Yale University, P.O. Box 208205, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. doug.mennin@yale.edu
authors: Douglas S
authors: DS
authors: Mennin
authors: Robert M
authors: RM
authors: Holaway
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Fresco
authors: Michael T
authors: MT
authors: Moore
authors: Richard G
authors: RG
authors: Heimberg
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal; D002605:Character; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011599:Psychopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology