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Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Emotion regulation and tic disorders in children
D Ruhrman1,2,3, M Mikulincer4, A Apter5,4,6
1Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel. daphnaruhrman@gmail.com.
Insights
Stress and emotion dysregulation significantly impact tic disorders (TD) and their comorbidities. Understanding these connections can help develop better therapies for children with TD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Tic disorders (TD) are complex developmental neuropsychiatric conditions.
- TD often co-occur with other conditions and cause psychosocial distress.
- Stress exacerbates tic expression and associated comorbidities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between stress, emotion regulation, tic expression, and psychopathology in children with TD.
- To explore the mediating role of emotion regulation in TD.
Main Methods:
- Sixty pediatric patients with TD were assessed at a specialized clinic.
- Evaluated perceived stress, emotional dysregulation, tic severity, and comorbidities (obsessions, compulsions, anxiety, depression, ADHD).
Main Results:
- Significant correlations found between stress, emotion dysregulation, and tic expression.
- Stress and emotion dysregulation were also linked to the severity of comorbid conditions.
- Emotion regulation dimensions played a role in TD and related psychopathology.
Conclusions:
- Stress and emotion dysregulation are key factors in tic disorder expression and severity.
- Emotion regulation may mediate the relationship between stress and psychopathology in TD.
- Findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for improving treatments for children with TD.
Abstract:
Tic disorders (TD) are developmental neuropsychiatric conditions often accompanied by comorbid conditions, and psychosocial hardships for child and family. The etiology of tics is unknown, and is complex and multifactorial. Stress is known to aggravate tic expression as well as associated comorbidities. Consequently, this study focused on possible connections between stress, emotion regulation, tic expression, and related psychopathology. Sixty consecutive admissions were assessed for perceived stress, emotional dysregulation, severity of obsessions and compulsions, anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, and tic expression at a TD clinic, in a university affiliated pediatric hospital. The results indicated that stress and emotion dysregulation were significantly related to both tic expression and severity of comorbidities. We discuss the role of emotion regulation dimensions regarding TD and related psychopathology as well as the mediating role of emotion regulation, and how they may contribute to the development of improved therapies for children with TD.
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