Objective:Emotion dysregulation has been considered as a critical variable that fosters the development of different disorders, including somatic symptom disorder. However, emotion dysregulation is a multifaceted construct, and its different components may have differential effects on the development of somatic symptoms.The objectives of this study were twofold: first, we aimed to examine the network of associations among emotion dysregulation domains; second, we aimed to investigate the origins of emotion dysregulation and their associations with somatic symptoms. Method: 516 adult volunteers participated in this study. The relationships among different emotion dysregulation domains were investigated within a correlation network analysis framework. The directions of the associations were examined and plotted as a directed acyclic graph. Mediation models were further used to examine the role of emotion dysregulation domains in mediating between different predictors (e.g., trauma history, attachment styles, reflective functioning) and somatic symptoms, controlling for socio-demographic variables. Results: The directed acyclic graph showed that excessive worrying is a critical variable that may generate different emotion dysregulation problems, especially in the area of interoceptive awareness, interpersonal trust, and capacity to identify and describe feelings. Among other results, mediation analyses notably showed that different domains of emotion dysregulation, together with attachment insecurity, difficulty mentalizing, and dissociation, may strengthen the maladaptive paths from childhood trauma to somatic symptoms. Conclusions: In line with Schimmenti’s (2017a, b, c) and Schimmenti and Caretti’s (2016, 2018) theory on affect development, emotion dysregulation canbe conceived as a multifaceted construct that has its origins in relational trauma in childhood and can negatively impact on the individuals’ interoceptive awareness and capacities for mentalized affectivity, up to the development of somatic symptoms.

Pattern of emotion dysregulation: a correlation network analysis

Schimmenti Adriano
;
2018-01-01

Abstract

Objective:Emotion dysregulation has been considered as a critical variable that fosters the development of different disorders, including somatic symptom disorder. However, emotion dysregulation is a multifaceted construct, and its different components may have differential effects on the development of somatic symptoms.The objectives of this study were twofold: first, we aimed to examine the network of associations among emotion dysregulation domains; second, we aimed to investigate the origins of emotion dysregulation and their associations with somatic symptoms. Method: 516 adult volunteers participated in this study. The relationships among different emotion dysregulation domains were investigated within a correlation network analysis framework. The directions of the associations were examined and plotted as a directed acyclic graph. Mediation models were further used to examine the role of emotion dysregulation domains in mediating between different predictors (e.g., trauma history, attachment styles, reflective functioning) and somatic symptoms, controlling for socio-demographic variables. Results: The directed acyclic graph showed that excessive worrying is a critical variable that may generate different emotion dysregulation problems, especially in the area of interoceptive awareness, interpersonal trust, and capacity to identify and describe feelings. Among other results, mediation analyses notably showed that different domains of emotion dysregulation, together with attachment insecurity, difficulty mentalizing, and dissociation, may strengthen the maladaptive paths from childhood trauma to somatic symptoms. Conclusions: In line with Schimmenti’s (2017a, b, c) and Schimmenti and Caretti’s (2016, 2018) theory on affect development, emotion dysregulation canbe conceived as a multifaceted construct that has its origins in relational trauma in childhood and can negatively impact on the individuals’ interoceptive awareness and capacities for mentalized affectivity, up to the development of somatic symptoms.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11387/132403
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