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Background: Psychological inflexibility and emotional dysregulation are a hallmark of psychopathology, being intrinsically embedded in emotional and personality disorders. However, the transdiagnostic mechanisms of psychological inflexibility and emotional dysregulation domains are still a matter of discussion. Aims: The present study aims to explore the relationships between cognitive fusion (as a measure of psychological inflexibility), emotion regulation strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression and emotional dysregulation domains in two different samples. Method: In a cross-sectional design, 297 individuals were assessed with self-report measures and divided into non-clinical (n = 231) and clinical samples (n = 66), according to diagnosis. Results: Results showed that the degree of cognitive fusion was higher in the clinical sample. However, significant correlations between cognitive fusion, emotional regulation strategies and emotional dysregulation domains were found in the two samples. Cognitive reappraisal and emotional dysregulation domains predicted cognitive fusion and mediated the relationship between cognitive fusion and symptomatology in the two samples. Conclusions: Relationships between cognitive fusion and emotional dysregulation domains were found independent of diagnosis. The implementation of emotion regulation strategies may be related to individual differences. However, cognitive fusion, reappraisal and lack of strategies may be core transdiagnostic features in psychological inflexibility and emotion dysregulation.

Emotional processing difficulties may be viewed as dysfunctional emotional states emerging from non-adequately processed emotional experience while early maladaptive schemas are experienced-based dysfunctional mental structures associated with chronic and recurrent psychological disorders. Schemas and emotional difficulties were previously associated with impairments on the regulation of psychological needs. However, clarifications about the relationships between these constructs are lacking. In a cross-sectional study, a clinical sample of 66 participants (M = 46.4, SD = 13.1) completed self-report questionnaires. Emotional processing difficulties correlated positively with schemas and negatively with the regulation of psychological needs. Disconnection and rejection, lack of autonomy and impaired limits schema domains mediated the relationship between emotional processing difficulties and psychological needs. Emotional processing difficulties may be associated with impairments on the regulation of psychological needs, due to activation of early maladaptive schemas, which, in turn, prompts symptomatology. Transtheoretical intervention regarding marker-guided interventions and phase-by-phase schema restructuring may be used to promote the regulation of psychological needs.

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