Emotion dysregulation and dyadic conflict in depressed and typical adolescents: Evaluating concordance across psychophysiological and observational measures

Abstract

Many depressed adolescents experience difficulty regulating their emotions. These emotion regulation difficulties appear to emerge in part from socialization processes within families and then generalize to other contexts. However, emotion dysregulation is typically assessed within the individual, rather than in the social relationships that shape and maintain dysregulation. In this study, we evaluated concordance of physiological and observational measures of emotion dysregulation during interpersonal conflict, using a multilevel actor-partner interdependence model (APIM). Participants were 75 mother-daughter dyads, including 50 depressed adolescents with or without a history of self-injury, and 25 typically developing controls. Behavior dysregulation was operationalized as observed aversiveness during a conflict discussion, and physiological dysregulation was indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Results revealed different patterns of concordance for control versus depressed participants. Controls evidenced a concordant partner (between-person) effect, and showed increased physiological regulation during minutes when their partner was more aversive. In contrast, clinical dyad members displayed a concordant actor (within-person) effect, becoming simultaneously physiologically and behaviorally dysregulated. Results inform current understanding of emotion dysregulation across multiple levels of analysis.

Poor self-control and harsh punishment in childhood prospectively predict borderline personality symptoms in adolescent girls.

“…In addition to their indirect effects on BPD via reciprocal influences, the direct effects of harsh punishment and poor self-control in childhood on the severity of BPD symptoms in adolescence were substantial. This underscores the need to address both child and parental contributions to dysfunctional transactions in order to stem the development of emotion dysregulation and interpersonal dysfunction characteristic of BPD (also see Crowell et al, 2014). Indeed, interventions for children with conduct problems that incorporate parents and teachers have been successful in reducing disruptive behaviors (e.g., Webster-Stratton, Reid, & Hammond, 2004).…”

The NIH Science of Behavior Change Program: Transforming the science through a focus on mechanisms of change

“…Measures that may serve as starting points include those that are: observational (e.g., coding the content of verbal or nonverbal interactions); self-reports (e.g., questionnaires, interviews); field-based (e.g., ecological momentary assessment); population-level (e.g., ethnography); physiological (e.g., heart rate and respiration); neural (e.g., fMRI, PET, EEG); neuroendocrine (e.g., oxytocin and cortisol); and immunological (e.g., cytokine and granulocyte assays) (Coan, Schaefer & Davidson, 2006; Crowell et al, 2014; Ferrer & Helm, 2013; Janicki, Kamarck, Shiffman, & Gwaltney, 2006; Kiecolt-Glaser, Gouin, & Hantsoo, 2010; Levenson & Gottman, 1983; Rilling & Sanfey, 2011; Roche, Pincus, Rebar, Conroy, & Ram, 2014; Snyder, Heyman, & Haynes, 2005). Given the wide range of interpersonal and social processes implicated in health behavior change, as well as the overlap among targets, it has proven difficult to measure these targets consistently in the laboratory, in clinical trials, or in large scale observational studies.…”

Future Directions in Emotion Dysregulation and Youth Psychopathology

“…However, despite the inherent social nature of invalidation and coercion, most studies conducted to date have evaluated patterns of emotion dysregulation within individuals, rather than within social relationships that amplify and maintain dysregulation. Using a multilevel actor-partner interdependence model, we recently evaluated concordance of observational and physiological measures of emotion dysregulation during interpersonal conflict among mother-daughter dyads, including depressed adolescents with or without a history of self-injury, and controls (Crowell et al, 2014). Behavior dysregulation was operationalized as coded aversiveness during a laboratory conflict discussion, and physiological dysregulation was indexed by RSA.…”