Hostility/Anger as a Mediator Between College Students’ Emotion Regulation Abilities and Symptoms of Depression, Social Anxiety, and Generalized Anxiety

Abstract

Internalizing problems are common among college students and have been linked consistently to deficits in emotion regulation (ER). Also, hostility/anger (animosity toward others, phenomenological aspect of anger) is an important feature of internalizing problems, but has received limited attention as a mediator between ER and outcomes. Results (N = 160) indicated that although college students' ER abilities corresponded with all three types of internalizing symptoms, hostility/anger mediated fully the relationship for symptoms of depression and social anxiety, but not generalized anxiety (GAD). The stronger interpersonal aspect inherent in depression and social anxiety relative to GAD may in part explain findings, but findings must be viewed in lieu of limitations, which include self-report, a non-clinical sample, and a cross-sectional design. Overall, hostility/anger may be important to address in interventions and programs aimed at reducing internalizing problems, especially among those who demonstrate ER deficits and are prone to depression and social anxiety.

Short fused? associations between white matter connections, sex steroids, and aggression across adolescence

“…Surprisingly, in girls, higher testosterone was related to lower hostility. It should be noted that hostility is characterized by a cynical attitude, feelings of resentment, and mistrust of others [Miller et al, ] and has been associated with higher levels of social anxiety and depression [Asberg, ; Weiss et al, ]. Interestingly, our finding of higher endogenous testosterone relating to lower hostility adds evidence to the idea that testosterone has anxiolytic properties [van Honk et al, ].…”

The Relationship between Students’ Perceptions of Parenting Styles and their University Life Adjustment

“…Also, the foreign languages that are used in the higher education environment can shake students' confidence in their abilities to communicate well with others. Shyness and attempting to avoid linguistic mistakes while contacting with others might drive students to keep a distance from other members in the college community (Asberg, 2013). Furthermore, college students' psychological and mental health is also more likely to be affected by students' engagement in failure romantic relationships (Al-Darmaki, 2011;Chandler & Gallagher, 1996).…”

Emotional Intelligence Partially Mediates the Association between Anxiety Sensitivity and Anxiety Symptoms1,2

“…The limited evidence, however, has been positive and suggests that EI skill enhancement is possible and may play an important role in treatment of psychopathology (Fletcher, Leadbetter, Curran, & O'Sullivan, 2009;Jahangard et al, 2012;Dugan, Weatherly, Girod, Barber, & Tsue, 2014). Moreover, growing evidence suggests that higher EI is associated with better coping and lower anxiety and other psychopathological conditions (Jacobs et al, 2008;Lizeretti & Extremera, 2011;Lizeretti, Extremera, & Rodriguez, 2012;Asberg, 2013;Nolidin et al, 2013;Resurreccion et al, 2014). Thus interventions aimed at improving EI may help develop the skills necessary to remain resilient against stress and maintain greater mental health and well being.…”