The Mediating Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in the Relationship Between Early Maladaptive Schemas, Alexithymia, and Emotional Intelligence With Somatic Symptoms in People With Somatic Symptoms Disorder

The present study was done to investigate the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, alexithymia, and emotional intelligence with the somatic symptoms in people with somatic symptom disorder (SSD).

The research population consisted of 360 people with SSD referred to the psychosomatic department of Taleghani Hospital in Tehran in 2021 and were referred by psychiatrists and psychologists of medical centers selected by an accessible sampling method. The participants were asked to complete the Toronto alexithymia scale, early maladaptive schemas questionnaire, Bar-on emotional intelligence scale, cognitive emotion regulation strategies scale, and Takata and Sakata psychosomatic symptom scale. Data were analyzed by correlation analysis and structural equation modeling test

The findings indicated that the hypothesized model had a good fit with the data. The results of the path analysis showed that cognitive emotion regulation strategies play a mediating role in the relationship between alexithymia and maladaptive schemas with SSD. Also, the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies between emotional intelligence and somatic symptoms was not significant.

Based on the findings of the research, it can be concluded that maladaptive schemas and alexithymia with somatic symptoms have no linear and simple relationship, but other variables, such as cognitive emotion regulation strategies play a mediating role in this relationship. Also, the findings of the current research can be used in order to prevent and understand the underlying etiologies and treatment of SSD.