Enhancing Emotion Regulation and Brain Connectivity in Adolescent Girls Through Parental Emotion Socialization: A...

Parental emotion socialization is theorized to influence adolescent emotion regulation. However, the causal nature of this relation and the underlying neural mechanism have not been investigated.

An emotion-focused parenting intervention targeting emotion socialization was used to experimentally manipulate parental emotion socialization and investigate its effect on emotion regulation and emotion regulation-related neural functional connectivity in early adolescent girls with elevated internalizing symptoms. This study recruited 70 adolescent girls 10 to 12 years old with elevated internalizing symptoms and their mothers. Mothers were randomized to the intervention group (n = 35) or the waitlist control group (n = 35). The Tuning in to Teens emotion-focused parenting intervention was delivered in eight 1-hour weekly sessions to mothers. Adolescent emotion regulation was assessed using mother and adolescent reports at preintervention and at 6-month follow-up. Adolescent emotion regulation-related brain functional connectivity during functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks was measured at the same time points.

Analysis included 60 dyads (intervention: n = 30; waitlist: n = 30). Relative to control adolescents, adolescents in the intervention group showed increased insula-supplementary motor area and insula-precuneus functional connectivity from preintervention to 6-month follow-up and improved mother-reported adolescent emotion regulation.

Findings provide causal evidence that parental emotion socialization enhances emotion regulation capacity in adolescent girls at risk of internalizing disorders.

Using a Parenting Program Intervention (Tuning into Teens (TINT)) to Investigate the Causal Effect of Parenting Behaviour on the Neurodevelopmental Correlates of Emotion Regulation in Adolescents; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382000&isReview=true.

We worked to ensure race, ethnic, and/or other types of diversity in the recruitment of human participants. We worked to ensure that the study questionnaires were prepared in an inclusive way. Diverse cell lines and/or genomic datasets were not available. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science. One or more of the authors of this paper self-identifies as a member of one or more historically underrepresented sexual and/or gender groups in science. We actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our author group. We actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our author group. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote sex and gender balance in our reference list. While citing references scientifically relevant for this work, we also actively worked to promote inclusion of historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups in science in our reference list. The author list of this paper includes contributors from the location and/or community where the research was conducted who participated in the data collection, design, analysis, and/or interpretation of the work.