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Background : African Americans experience more severe and chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms compared to other racial groups, and thus it is important to examine factors that are relevant for the aetiology of PTSD in this population. Although racial discrimination has been implicated as an exacerbating factor in the development and maintenance of PTSD, relatively less is known about mechanisms through which this process may occur. Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine one such mechanism, emotion dysregulation, in two independent samples of African American adults. Method : Trauma-exposed participants were recruited in a large, urban community hospital setting (initial sample n = 1,841; replication sample n = 294). In the initial sample, participants completed a unidimensional measure of emotion dysregulation and self-reported PTSD symptoms based on the DSM-IV. In the replication sample, participants completed a multidimensional measure of emotion dysregulation and a diagnostic interview of PTSD symptoms based on the DSM-5. Mediation analyses were used to test our hypotheses. Results : Across both samples, results indicated that racial discrimination was indirectly associated with PTSD symptoms through emotion dysregulation (even when trauma load was added as a covariate). Conclusions : Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that the association between racial discrimination and PTSD symptoms may be partially explained by the association between racial discrimination and worse emotion dysregulation. These findings elucidate the impact of racist incidents on mental health and identify modifiable emotion regulatory processes that can be intervened upon to enhance the psychological and social wellbeing of African Americans.

A person-centered approach to examining trauma has uncovered typologies of polytraumatization that are differentially associated with psychopathology. However, previous research is limited by narrow conceptualizations of trauma, limited distal outcomes, and underrepresentation of racially marginalized groups. To address these gaps, we used latent profile analysis to uncover distinct polytraumatization typologies and examine four symptom-based (posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, aggression, and substance abuse) and two behavior-based (self-harm, jail counts) outcomes in a sample of adults with low socioeconomic resources ( N = 7,426, 94% African American). The models were indicated by 19 traumatic experiences (e.g., accident, sexual assault, witnessing/experiencing violence). The best fitting model uncovered five classes: minimal trauma, physical abuse, violence exposure, sexual abuse, and polytrauma. Classes characterized by significant and varied trauma were higher on both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, whereas those characterized by specific types of trauma were higher on only one type of psychopathology. Implications for the assessment and treatment of trauma-related disorders are discussed.

Background The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is commonly used to assess dimensions of emotion dysregulation, including emotion nonacceptance, limited strategies, and difficulty with goal‐directed behavior, impulse control, and emotional clarity. Despite considerable work examining the DERS' factor structure, reliability, and validity, there is limited psychometric support for its use with Black women. Objectives (1) Examine the factor structure of the DERS; (2) Compare fit of short‐form versions; and (3) Assess whether scores differ based on diagnoses. Method Sample consisted of Black women (n = 667) recruited in urban, community hospital setting. Results The DERS‐18 correlated traits model without awareness demonstrated the best fit, χ2 (80) = 261.09, root mean square error of approximation = 0.06 [0.05, 0.07], comparative fit index = 0.99, Tucker Lewis Index = 0.98, weighted root mean square residual = 0.89. Additionally, those with current diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD) reported higher dysregulation (vs. lifetime/no diagnoses). Further, women with comorbid PTSD/MDD reported greater dysregulation (vs. single disorder/no diagnoses). Conclusions This study provides evidence supporting the model fit, reliability, and validity of the DERS‐18 for Black women.

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C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, has been associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Emotion dysregulation is a transdiagnostic risk factor for many psychological disorders associated with chronic inflammatory state. The objective of this study was to determine whether inflammation is associated with emotion dysregulation in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We examined associations between trauma exposure, MDD, PTSD, emotion dysregulation, and CRP among 40 African-American women with T2DM recruited from an urban hospital. Emotion dysregulation was measured using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. PTSD and MDD were measured with structured clinical interviews. Child abuse and lifetime trauma load were also assessed. Analyses showed that both emotion dysregulation and current MDD were significantly associated with higher levels of CRP (p < 0.01). Current PTSD was not significantly related to CRP. In a regression model, emotion dysregulation was significantly associated with higher CRP (p < 0.001) independent of body mass index, trauma exposure, and MDD diagnosis. These findings suggest that emotion dysregulation may be an important risk factor for chronic inflammation beyond already known risk factors among women with T2DM, though a causal relationship cannot be determined from this study.