Role of Emotion Regulation in Psychopathology

The associations between emotional skills encompassed in emotion regulation model and psychopathology were examined by investigating its ability to modify the emotion-mediated association between other emotion regulation skills and psychopathology.
A total of 465 students were selected using proposal sampling method. Data were collected using Emotion Regulation Skill Questionnaire (ERSQ) and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Data were analyzed using bootstrapping-enhanced mediation analysis that considered the ability to modify emotions as a mediator, psychopathology as dependent, and other emotional skill as independent and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
A significant negative correlation was established between emotional skills and psychopathology in a range from 0.13 (bodily perception of sensations) to 0.31 (modification) (ρ=-0.31, P˂0.01). The total effect for the variables of clarity, understanding, acceptance and tolerance, confrontation, self-support, attention, and sensation was significant at P0.05), and modification between these three skills and psychopathology exerted a complete mediating effect. The direct impact of emotional clarity, acceptance and tolerance, confrontation, and self-support was significant. Thus, emotion modification between the skills of emotional clarity, acceptance and tolerance, confrontation, and self-support with psychological disturbance had partial mediating effects.
The ability to modify emotions is the pathway through which other emotional skills might exert their influence on the mental health.