Emotional Reactivity, Emotion Regulation, and Regulatory Choice in Somatic Symptom Disorder

Objective Despite the transdiagnostic importance of emotional dysregulation in psychopathology, the exact nature of emotional dysregulation in somatic symptom disorders (SSDs) is still unclear. The present study compared measures of emotional reactivity, emotion regulation (ER), and regulatory choice between n = 62 individuals with SSD (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) and n = 61 healthy participants. Methods Participants underwent two ER tasks, assessing a) efficacy of reappraisal and suppression, and 2) regulatory choice, while electrodermal activity and heart rate variability were recorded. In addition, self-reports (Emotion Reactivity Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) regarding habitual emotional reactions and regulation strategies were assessed. Results Individuals with SSD reported significantly higher trait emotional reactivity (Emotion Reactivity Scale; p
Source: Psychosomatic Medicine - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLES Source Type: research