Emotional schemas mediate the relationship between emotion regulation and symptomatology

• Published in: Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 2733 - 2739
• Main Authors: Faustino, Bruno, Vasco, António Branco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.02.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anxiety; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Emotion regulation; Emotional regulation; Emotions; Psychological research; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Social Sciences; Symptomatology; Portugal; Symptomatology; Emotional schemas, emotion regulation; Mediation analysis
• ISSN: 1046-1310; 1936-4733
• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01560-7

Emotional schemas are identified as the underlying mental structures associated with a wide range of emotional disorders. They may also be regarded as a transdiagnostic construct. However, the implications of specific emotional schemas on emotion regulation are not clear. In this sense, this study aims to explore how emotional schemas relate to emotional regulation and symptomatology. For this purpose, 416 ( Mage  = 20.86, SD  = 5.22) individuals fulfilled self-reported questionnaires which were analyzed in a cross-sectional design. Results showed that emotional schemas were correlated with emotion regulation. Furthermore, emotional invalidation, non-acceptance, and uncontrollability were significant mediators of the relationship between emotional suppression and symptomatology. Emotional schemas may play a wider role in psychological disorders being a core issue to be addressed in psychotherapy. These results may enhance case conceptualization and psychological interventions.