Emotion Dysregulation Mediates the Relationship Between Child Maltreatment and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

One risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents is exposure to traumatic experiences, particularly child maltreatment. However, the mechanisms through which childhood maltreatment predicts NSSI are largely unknown. Emotion dysregulation (ED) is likely an important mechanism in this relationship. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment, ED, and NSSI in a sample of adolescent inpatients (n = 53). Results demonstrated that child physical and emotional maltreatment, but not child sexual abuse, was significantly associated with NSSI frequency. More specifically, ED mediated the relationship between child physical and emotional maltreatment and NSSI frequency. Findings support the importance of ED as a mediating factor in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and NSSI behaviors and highlight the need for teaching emotion regulation skills to youth affected by trauma.     

Adverse Effects of Childhood Emotional Maltreatment on Child Behavioral Outcomes

This study used a diverse community sample to test a moderated mediation model, investigating maternal depressive symptoms as a mediator of the relations between maternal emotional maltreatment and child behavior problems; we further tested the moderating effects of observed maternal hostility on these relations. Participants included 64 mother–child dyads (8–11 years old; 59.4% female), in which mothers completed self- and child-report measures and dyads completed a conflict resolution task. Results of a moderated mediation analysis (PROCESS; Hayes, 2013) indicated that the maternal history of emotional maltreatment was associated with increased maternal depressive symptoms, and subsequently with higher child externalizing problems. In addition, these relations were strongest at high levels of observed maternal hostility in the conflict task.     

Identity and Emotional Competence as Mediators of the Relation between Childhood Psychological Maltreatment and Adult Love Relationships

This study tested whether identity formation and emotional competence mediated the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and adult attachment styles, and tested the differential long-term effects of psychological abuse and neglect. The sample included 187 undergraduates in romantic relationships. Measures assessed the extent of childhood trauma, family expressiveness, alexithymia, self-esteem, self-concept, and adult attachment style. Results of path analysis showed that emotional competence, but not self-identity, mediated the relationship between psychological maltreatment and adult attachment styles. Self-identity mediated the relationship between psychological maltreatment and emotional competence. Emotional abuse and neglect both were associated with lack of contentment, sense of worthiness and significance, alexithymia, and fearful adult attachment style. Results support the importance of emotional competence for forming adult romantic relationships.     

The Universality of Childhood Emotional Abuse: A Meta-Analysis of Worldwide Prevalence

This comprehensive meta-analysis combined prevalence figures of child emotional abuse reported in 29 studies, including 46 independent samples with a total of 7,082,279 participants. The overall estimated prevalence was 3/1,000 for studies using informants and 363/1,000 for studies using self-report measures of child emotional abuse. Procedural factors seem to exert a greater influence on the prevalence of childhood emotional abuse than sample characteristics and definitional issues, without fully explaining the vast variation of prevalence rates reported in individual studies. We conclude that child emotional abuse is a universal problem affecting the lives of millions of children all over the world, which is in sharp contrast with the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child.     

Emotional Abuse Questionnaire (EAQ): A New Scale for Measuring Emotional Abuse and Psychological Maltreatment1

Emotional abuse is the core of all other kinds of child abuses and maltreatments. The significant and serious outcomes of other kinds of abuses are often due to the emotional aspects. Moreover, emotional abuse has several forms, and each form may lead to different adverse outcomes for children and adolescents. Unfortunately, there is not a comprehensive instrument to assess all categories of emotional abuse. A 30-item self-report questionnaire was developed for ages 12 years and older. The sample included 328 students aged 12 to 19 years selected randomly from students referred to different student counseling centers. Exploratory factor analysis categorized the scale into six subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that all items were fitted with the subscales significantly. Content and concurrent validity demonstrated good validity and reliability for each subscale. Overall reliability was also significantly acceptable.     

The Relationships among Childhood Maltreatment,Emotion Regulation,and Sexual Risk Taking in Men from Urban STD Clinics

This study sought to examine the relationships among emotion regulation difficulties, childhood maltreatment, and risky sexual behavior in a sample of 320 heterosexual men recruited from urban sexually transmitted disease clinics. Overall childhood maltreatment and several specific types of child abuse were significantly associated with emotion dysregulation, number of sexual partners, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis. There was evidence of an additive effect of multiple forms of maltreatment on difficulties with emotion regulation and sexual risk taking. Impulse control difficulties and access to emotion regulation strategies, two components of emotion dysregulation, were related to measures of risky sexual behavior. Furthermore, limited access to emotion regulation strategies mediated the relationship between frequency of childhood sexual abuse and a greater number of lifetime sexual partners. This study has important implications for developing effective interventions to reduce the spread of STIs and HIV by expanding affect regulation and distress tolerance strategies among men who have experienced childhood maltreatment.     

Childhood Emotional Abuse and Young Adulthood Dating Violence: The Moderating Role of Stress Reactivity

Dating violence has been linked to past experiences of childhood emotional abuse; however, little research has explored how stress reactivity functions within interpersonal relationships to amplify or attenuate these associations. The present study investigated the moderating effects of cortisol stress reactivity on associations between retrospective self-reported childhood emotional abuse and later self-reported interpersonal violence in young adult dating relationships. The current sample consisted of 57 young adult heterosexual dating partners (46 females, 11 males) between the ages of 18 and 24. Salivary cortisol samples were collected before and after a stress task to measure stress reactivity. Moderation analyses were conducted through the PROCESS macro in SPSS version 22. The relation between childhood emotional abuse and dating violence varied depending on cortisol reactivity, such that the association between childhood emotional abuse and young adult dating violence was stronger for those who demonstrated low levels of cortisol reactivity. The association between childhood emotional abuse and dating violence was not significant for those who demonstrated high cortisol reactivity. Findings underscore the importance of studying physiological mechanisms that may confer risk in the relationship between child emotional abuse and later interpersonal consequences.     

Exploring the Link Between Emotional and Behavioral Dysregulation: A Test of the Emotional Cascade Model

The emotional cascade model (Selby, Anestis, & Joiner, 2008) posits that the link between emotional and behavioral dysregulation may be through emotional cascades, which are repetitive cycles of rumination and negative affect that result in an intensification of emotional distress. Dysregulated behaviors, such as non-suicidal self-injury, are used to reduce aversive emotions and distract the person from ruminative processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the emotional cascade model in a non-Western sample of Turkish university students. Accordingly, a structural equation model was tested, and the results demonstrated that the emotional cascades were indeed associated to dysregulated behaviors, even when the effect of current symptoms of depression and anxiety on behavioral dysregulation was statistically controlled. Furthermore, thought suppression had a stronger relationship with all symptom patterns as compared to rumination, which may point to a cultural difference. Possible implications of the findings are discussed.     

Incremental Validity of Mindfulness Skills in Relation to Emotional Dysregulation among a Young Adult Community Sample

The present investigation examined the incremental predictive validity of mindfulness skills, as measured by the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS), in relation to multiple facets of emotional dysregulation, as indexed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), above and beyond variance explained by negative affectivity, anxiety sensitivity, and distress tolerance. Participants were a nonclinical community sample of 193 young adults (106 women, 87 men; M_age = 23.91 years). The KIMS Accepting without Judgment subscale was incrementally negatively predictive of all facets of emotional dysregulation, as measured by the DERS. Furthermore, KIMS Acting with Awareness was incrementally negatively related to difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior. Additionally, both observing and describing mindfulness skills were incrementally negatively related to lack of emotional awareness, and describing skills also were incrementally negatively related to lack of emotional clarity. Findings are discussed in relation to advancing scientific understanding of emotional dysregulation from a mindfulness skills-based framework.     

Depressive and Anxious Symptomatology Moderate the Relationship Between Childhood Emotional Abuse Severity and Attentional Bias on the Modified Stroop Task

Research has demonstrated that the impact of childhood abuse often outlasts the initial abuse experiences, paving the way for a myriad of psychological difficulties in adulthood. Attentional bias might serve as a pathway from childhood abuse to negative outcomes associated with such experiences. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the impact of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) experiences on the presence of attentional bias in a sample of college women by comparing performance on a modified Stroop task between CEA survivors (n = 28) and a nonabused control group (n = 31). Results suggest that for CEA survivors, psychological symptoms moderated the relationship between CEA severity and attentional bias to specific word types. Results underscore the importance in continued exploration of the relationship among childhood emotional abuse, attentional bias, and concurrent psychopathology. Results also suggest that modification of attentional biases, via cognitive bias modification procedures, could help mitigate the impact of childhood abuse experiences on psychological well-being in adult survivors.     

Attachment Style and Early Maladaptive Schemas as Mediators of the Relationship between Childhood Emotional Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence

Theoretical and empirical research suggests possible pathways between women's experiences of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and later intimate partner violence victimization (IPV-V) and perpetration (IPV-P), including attachment style and early maladaptive schemas. This study tested a model examining the unique mediating effects of insecure attachment and early maladaptive schemas on the relationship between CEA and IPV-V (n?=?396) or IPV-P (n?=?409) in college women. Contrary to hypotheses that both attachment style and maladaptive schema endorsement would mediate the relationship between CEA and IPV-V and IPV-P, regression analyses indicated the disconnection/rejection schema domain was the only significant mediator between CEA and IPV-V (p = .01). This same relation held for childhood emotional abuse and IPV-P (p < .001). These findings provide preliminary clinical utility for examining schema endorsement, the use of schema therapy (Young, Klosko, &; Weishar, 2003 Young, J. E., Klosko, J. S. and Weishar, M. E. 2003. Schema therapy: A practitioner's guide, New York: NY: Guilford.  [Google Scholar]), or both with women who have emotional abuse and IPV histories.     

Intergenerational Transfer of Parenting Styles: Correlations between Experience of Punitive Discipline in Childhood,Opinion Regarding Discipline Methods,and Context of Parenting

The purpose of this research is to study the intergenerational correlations of punitive disciplining of children. In an international sample, 112 individuals evaluated their experience of disciplinary methods from their childhood, as well as current perception of disciplinary methods and their own context of parenting. The results showed that the experience of corporal punishment or psychological aggression in childhood correlates with acceptability of inflicting corporal punishment or psychological aggression as a parent. There was an interaction between the experience of punitive discipline and experiencing confidence in carrying out parenting tasks and experiencing present-day stress. Context of parenting (e.g., confidence in carrying out parenting tasks) and perceptions of punitive disciplining might help us understand intergenerational transfer of parenting styles.     

Childhood Maltreatment,Emotional Response Inhibition,and Suicide in Psychiatric Inpatients

Childhood abuse and/or neglect adversely influences development of neurocognitive systems that regulate affect and behavior. Poor inhibitory control over emotional reactions is thus one potential pathway from maltreatment to suicide. Adult psychiatric inpatients completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and an emotional stop-signal task indexing negative emotional action termination (NEAT): the ability to inhibit ongoing motor reactions to aversive stimuli triggered by negative affect. Clinical interviews assessed suicidal thoughts and behaviors during hospitalization (n = 131) and at follow-up assessments 6 months later (n = 87). Our primary aim was to examine whether maltreatment history and NEAT explain overlapping variance in suicidal behaviors (1) retrospectively and (2) 6 months following hospital discharge. Contrary to prediction, childhood maltreatment was unrelated to history of suicidal behaviors. However, NEAT was consistently associated with prior suicidal acts, even controlling for suicidal ideation and demographic covariates. NEAT similarly contributed to the prediction of post-discharge suicidal behaviors, whereas we found no effect of maltreatment history. The present study suggests that NEAT captures suicide risk independently of childhood maltreatment. Results implicated NEAT impairment specifically, rather than broader response inhibition deficits (e.g., to positive stimuli), in past and future suicidal behaviors. These findings provide preliminary support for NEAT as a behavioral vulnerability marker for suicide, with implications for understanding links between maltreatment history and suicidal acts.     

幼儿对于图画作者情绪状态与其作品间关系的认知

采用将作者情绪状态与图画作品相匹配的方法,分别以线条、颜色和内容为线索,考察了3.5~5.5岁儿童对图画作者情绪状态与其作品间关系的认知发展。结果表明:3.5岁儿童尚不能将作者情绪状态与图画特点联系起来,4.5岁儿童开始能够将作者情绪状态与图画特点联系起来,5.5岁儿童的水平在此基础上又有明显的发展。儿童对作者情绪状态与图画间关系的把握显示出一定的性别差异,但对图画传递的情绪信息的认知在各要素形式(颜色、线条、内容)之间差异不明显。     

Parental Hostility and Depression as Predictors of Young Children's Aggression and Conduct Problems

Parental hostility and parental depression are associated with childhood behavior problems, but these have been studied independently in the literature. This study examined the relationships between parental hostility and depression and childhood aggression and conduct problems. Parental hostility was hypothesized to predict children's current and future (two months later) aggression and conduct problems. Participants were primary caregivers of children 0 to 10 years of age. Results indicate that hostility is a better predictor of present and future childhood aggression and conduct problems than depression. Implications of this finding for preventing and treating childhood aggression and conduct problems are discussed.     

Childhood Emotional Abuse and Psychological Distress in Gay and Bisexual Men

Despite the high prevalence of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and adult psychological distress (depression and anxiety) among gay and bisexual men (GBM), there is little research examining the relationships among these variables. This study examined internalized homophobia (IH) as a mediator between CEA and psychological distress in a sample of 286 GBM. Controlling for demographics and childhood sexual and physical abuse, CEA was associated with self-report and clinician-administered measures of psychological distress. Concern about stigma of being gay mediated the relationship between CEA and psychological distress. Internalized antigay attitudes might be important in the relationship between CEA and adult psychological distress. Clinicians might address negative beliefs about the self as a GBM that could be exacerbated due to CEA.     

Age and Gender Differences in Teen Relationship Violence

Research shows that abuse in adolescence can start early and current literature regarding gender differences in teen relationship violence (TRV) is inconsistent. Age and gender differences in TRV were examined. Measures assessing TRV and its correlates were completed by 231 teens from 7th-, 9th-, and 11th-grade classes. A 2 (gender) by 3 (grade) multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant effects for grade and gender indicating that 7th graders have lower perpetration and victimization of TRV, less anger control, and fewer positive conflict resolution behaviors than 9th and 11th graders. Furthermore, girls perpetrate more physical and emotional abuse, whereas boys perpetrate more sexual abuse. Results have implications for timing and content of prevention programs addressing dating violence in adolescence.     

虐待与流动儿童对立违抗症状的关系:亲密度和冲突性的作用

以来自北京10所小学的369名有对立违抗障碍症状的流动儿童,349名无ODD症状的对照组流动儿童和94名有ODD症状的北京儿童为被试,探究了有ODD症状流动儿童的症状严重程度及影响因素,并进一步探讨了ODD症状流动儿童在家庭中所受情感虐待、躯体虐待对其情绪方面的ODD症状和行为方面的ODD症状的影响,以及亲子关系(包括亲密度和冲突性)在其中起的作用。研究结果发现:(1)对比ODD症状北京儿童和对照组流动儿童,ODD症状流动儿童受到更严重的虐待,亲子关系亲密度更差,冲突性更高;(2)对ODD症状流动儿童,虐待和亲密度显著负相关,虐待和冲突性显著正相关,躯体虐待、冲突性均和行为方面ODD症状显著正相关;(3)躯体虐待能直接预测ODD症状流动儿童的行为方面ODD症状,但无法直接预测其情绪方面ODD症状;(4)在躯体虐待对ODD症状的影响中,冲突性起着显著的中介作用,躯体虐待通过影响亲子关系冲突性,对流动儿童的行为方面ODD症状产生影响,而亲密度则显著调节了躯体虐待对流动儿童情绪方面ODD症状的影响。     

幼儿的情绪表现规则知识发展及其与家庭情绪表露、社会行为的相关研究

通过幼儿情绪表现规则知识的访谈、家庭情绪表露问卷和幼儿社会行为评估问卷调查,考察了112名3～6岁幼儿情绪表现规则知识的发展及其与家庭情绪表露、社会行为的关系。结果表明:(1)幼儿的表情调节知识存在显著的年龄差异,大班幼儿比小班幼儿具有更高的表情调节知识、更倾向于掩饰消极情绪;(2)幼儿的表情调节知识与情绪表达的人际支持、工具支持的结果期望存在显著正相关,即幼儿掩饰消极情绪是因为预期情绪表达不会得到他人理解和帮助;(3)幼儿报告面对父母同伴教师不同在场者时具有不同的情绪体验,且幼儿的人际支持结果预期存在年龄和在场者的交互作用;(4)家庭情绪表露与幼儿的人际支持的结果预期存在显著正相关、与工具支持的结果预期存在显著负相关;(5)倾向于掩饰消极情绪的幼儿表现出更多的亲社会行为,认为表达消极情绪会带来不良结果的幼儿表现出更多的害羞退缩行为。