We propose a model of healthy intentional emotion regulation that includes (1) a large repertoire of (2) adaptive strategies that (3) one persists with despite initial negative feedback. One hundred forty-four undergraduates (average age = 19.20 years; 68% female, 79% Caucasian) completed a novel performance task indicating what they would think or do to feel better in response to eleven stressful vignettes. After their initial response, participants indicated four more times how they would respond if their previous strategy was not working. Raters categorized each response as an emotion regulation strategy and coded the adaptiveness of each strategy. Participants self-reported Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) symptoms, and depressive symptoms. We regressed each personality dimension and psychopathology symptom on our model of healthy emotion regulation. Neuroticism was negatively associated with adaptiveness and persistence. Extraversion was positively associated with adaptiveness. Conscientiousness was positively associated with repertoire, adaptiveness, and persistence, while BPD symptoms were negatively associated with all three variables. Depressive symptoms were negatively associated with persistence. These preliminary findings suggest that people with larger repertoires of more adaptive emotion regulation strategies who persist with these strategies despite initial negative feedback report less personality pathology and psychological distress.

BackgroundWe describe the theoretical rationale and protocol for Self-Help And Recovery guide for Eating Disorders (SHARED), a trial investigating whether a guided self-care intervention (Recovery MANTRA) is a useful addition to treatment as usual for individuals with anorexia nervosa. Recovery MANTRA, a 6-week self-care intervention supplemented by peer mentorship, is a module extension of the Maudsley Model of Treatment for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa and targets the maintenance factors identified by the cognitive-interpersonal model of the illness.MethodsPatients accessing outpatient services for anorexia nervosa are randomized to either treatment as usual or treatment as usual plus Recovery MANTRA. Outcome variables include change in body weight at the end of the intervention (primary) and changes in body weight and eating disorder symptoms at immediate and extended follow-up (6-months; secondary). Change is also assessed for the domains identified by the theoretical model, including motivation, hope, confidence to change, positive mood, cognitive flexibility, therapeutic alliance and social adjustment. Feedback from peer mentors is gathered to understand the impact on their own well-being of providing guidance.DiscussionResults from this exploratory investigation will determine whether a larger clinical trial is justifiable and feasible for this affordable intervention, which has potential for high reach and scalability.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02336841.

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Introduction: Symptoms of depression are associated with difficulty achieving personal goals. Empirical investigations suggest that depressed individuals do not differ from healthy controls in their commitment to personal goals (i.e., goal commitment), though they express less confidence in their abilities to achieve goals (i.e., goal-related confidence). Despite the relevance of motivational constructs, including goal commitment and confidence, to both depression and goal striving, there is a dearth of research examining these variables as they relate to depressive symptoms and goal progress across time. Method: To address this gap, we tracked the goal pursuits of 139 undergraduate participants oversampled for elevated symptoms of depression at a large, Midwestern university at three time-points. Participants completed a baseline assessment that included The Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) and a free-response goal-setting activity. They were asked to report goal progress and re-rate commitment and confidence for any not-yet-attained goals 2 weeks later and, finally, to report on goal attainment at a 2-month follow-up. Results: As predicted, the association between depressive symptoms and concurrently-reported goal commitment was not significant. However, less goal progress and early decreases in goal commitment and confidence reported at 2-week follow-up acted as indirect paths through which baseline depressive symptoms predicted poor longer-term goal outcomes. Discussion: Future investigators could experimentally test the associations between these variables to better understand the ways in which manipulating one aspect of goal striving might causally influence the others.

Purpose: A healthy diet and consistent physical activity (PA) form the foundation for effective self-management in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Behavioral interventions, which target diet and PA, can facilitate effective diabetes self-management practices. Greater clarity regarding the 'active ingredients' incorporated into behavioral interventions is needed to inform the evidence base about effective intervention techniques to advance behavioral theories and to improve clinical practice. The use of intervention mapping (IM) to develop a novel diabetes intervention to increase consumption of low glycemic index (GI) foods and to increase moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA is presented. Methods: Determinants from self-regulation and the Health Action Process Approach theoretical framework formed the foundation of the intervention. The IM taxonomy of behavior change methods and strategies from Hope Therapy (e.g. goal maps) were used to guide techniques for changing selected theoretical determinants of behavior. A pilot study of the intervention among adults with T2DM (n = 12) was conducted using a pre-/post-test design to evaluate intervention components and participant acceptability. Results: Participants attended a mean (±SD) of 8 (±1.4) of the 10 weekly 90-minute, group-based sessions. The magnitude of effect was moderate (d > 0.50) for the change in behavioral intentions, action control, and action and coping planning for engaging in PA and large (d > 0.80) for the change in action self-efficacy and action and coping planning for eating low GI foods postintervention. Conclusions: Greater emphasis on value-based decision-making, the goal mapping process, and successively progressive exercise goals should be included in future versions of the intervention. Based on pilot testing, a larger randomized controlled trial that incorporates these intervention modifications is warranted and the modified intervention has a greater likelihood for success. ARTICLE HISTORY