Correspondence between physiological and self‐report measures of emotion dysregulation: A longitudinal investigation of youth with and without psychopathology

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02172.x
• Publication Date: 2009-10-07T10:16:22Z
• Authors: Christina A. Vasilev; Sheila E. Crowell; Theodore P. Beauc...; Hilary K. Mead; Lisa M. Gatzke‐Kopp
• Keywords: Emotional dysregulation; Vagal Tone; Depression

Background: Several theoretical perspectives suggest that emotion dysregulation is a predisposing risk factor for many psychiatric disorders. Yet despite rapidly evolving literature, difficulties with regulation (ER) are often measured inconsistently across studies, little regard to whether different approaches capture the same construct. In this study, we evaluate correspondence between two widely used measures of cut self‐report and physiological levels analysis. Our objectives were (1) youth self‐reports ER correspond collected at baseline during sad induction, (2) validate Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) sample. Method: We among sample depression, conduct problems, comorbid depression/conduct or no condition. Youth assessed initially ages 8–12 (Year 1) followed up Years 2 3. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), index regulation, was all three years induction. At Year 3, DERS also administered. Results: Multilevel modeling analyses indicated slopes RSA assessments associated later self‐reported abilities transition into adolescence. These findings replicated contexts (baseline emotional challenge), suggesting adolescents whose responding challenge improves experience fewer as they mature.