The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between personality traits with somatization symptoms

The purpose of this study was to determine the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between personality features with somatization symptoms. The research method was descriptive-correlational and the statistical population of the study consisted of all female students of Islamic Azad University, Ayatollah Amoli Science and Research Branch in 2016-2017 in 1150 individuals in Amol city among which 285 students were selected by multi-stage sampling, in this way, two faculties of humanities and basic sciences, from humanities faculty two law and accounting, and from basic sciences faculty two pure chemistry and applied chemistry, of each 4 classes randomly, and 250 students based on 15 proposed for each observed variable were selected. The study tools included NEO-Five Factor Inventory by McCrae & Costa 1985; cognitive emotion regulation by Garnefski, Kraaij & Spinhoven (2001); and symptom checklist 90 revised by Derogatis, Rickels, & Rock (1976). After removal of 3 distortion questionnaires and 1 outlier, data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling method. The results of this study showed that among the personality traits, only the indirect path coefficients between extraversion (β= -0.106, P= 0.02) and conscientiousness (β= -0.132, P= 0.02) with somatization symptoms were negative and significant. Among the cognitive emotion regulation strategies, only path coefficient of negative strategies with somatization symptoms (β= 0.470, P= 0.001) was positive and significant. Positive cognitive emotion regulation training is recommended for coping with environmental events and modifying personality manifestations in people with somatization symptoms