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Updated: May 24, 2026
08:09
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Emotion regulation and anxiety disorders
Josh M Cisler1, Bunmi O Olatunji
1Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, 72205, USA. jcisler@uams.edu
Current Psychiatry Reports
|March 7, 2012
Summary
Emotion regulation strategies are crucial for understanding and treating anxiety disorders. Research shows these strategies impact emotional responses and predict anxiety symptoms beyond negative affect.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Emotion regulation is increasingly recognized for its role in anxiety disorders.
- Understanding how individuals manage emotions is key to addressing anxiety.
- Existing research highlights the link between emotion regulation and anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence linking emotion regulation to anxiety disorders.
- To differentiate emotion regulation from basic emotion.
- To explore how emotion regulation strategies affect emotional responses.
Main Methods:
- Selective literature review of behavioral and neuroimaging studies.
- Analysis of research differentiating emotion and emotion regulation.
- Examination of studies on emotion regulation strategies' impact on emotional responding.
Main Results:
- Emotion regulation is distinct from the basic construct of emotion.
- Emotion regulation strategies effectively modulate emotional responses, confirmed by behavioral and neuroimaging data.
- Emotion regulation measures predict anxiety disorder symptoms independently of negative affect.
Conclusions:
- Emotion regulation is a significant factor in the onset, maintenance, and treatment of anxiety disorders.
- Further research is needed to elucidate causal pathways and refine definitions.
- Clarifying the role of emotion regulation can improve anxiety disorder interventions.
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