Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
08:09
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
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The relationship between childhood trauma, inhibitory dysfunction, and emotion processing: Exploring differences
Yi Xie1, Ye-Qian Li2, Yan-Yu Wang2
1Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|January 31, 2026
Summary
Childhood trauma impacts emotion regulation through inhibitory dysfunction, particularly in those with low social anhedonia. Interventions should address inhibitory function for trauma-related emotional issues.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Childhood trauma (CT) is linked to cognitive and emotional difficulties.
- The psychological mechanisms connecting CT, emotion processing, and social anhedonia require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between CT, inhibitory dysfunction, and emotion processing.
- To explore how social anhedonia levels influence these associations.
Main Methods:
- 1622 healthy participants completed self-report measures for CT, pleasure, emotion regulation, and executive dysfunction.
- Network analysis and mediation effects were analyzed.
- Participants were grouped by social anhedonia levels for subgroup analysis.
Main Results:
- CT negatively correlated with cognitive reappraisal and pleasure, and positively with expressive suppression.
- Inhibitory dysfunction mediated the link between CT and emotion regulation.
- The mediation effect was significant only in the low social anhedonia group.
Conclusions:
- Inhibitory dysfunction is a key mediator between CT and emotion regulation.
- This mediation is disrupted in individuals with moderate to high social anhedonia.
- Interventions for trauma-related emotional problems should consider inhibitory function.
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