The Efficacy of Emotion Regulation Training on Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Irritability of the Students With Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is a new diagnosis in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) that is characterized by chronic, persistent and severe irritability in children and adolescents. According to the American Psychological Association, these children are at risk of polar depression or anxiety disorders in adulthood. Since emotions play a key role in this disorder, the current research aimed at studying the efficacy of teaching emotion regulation on stress, anxiety, depression and irritability of students with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.
The present research was experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. Using purposive sampling, 30 junior high school students with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder were selected through a diagnostic interview, and were then randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group (each group consisted of 15 people). They answered the Stringaris emotional reactivity index and Levinda stress, depression and anxiety scale. Before applying independent variables, the pretests were taken from both groups and then the first group took part in eight 90-minute sessions of group therapy based on Gratz and Gunderson's emotion regulation training. Data were analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MONCOVA) method using the SPSS-21 software.
The Findings revealed that such an education decreases depression, stress, and anxiety of the experimental group. The irritability of the students with disruptive mood decreased considerably compared with the pretest and the control group.
Finally, it was concluded that the education of emotion regulation is an acceptable treatment for decreasing emotive derangement and irritability of the students with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. As a result, this treatment could be used in curing this new disorder.