Associations Between Temperament, Emotion Regulation, and Depression in Youth: The Role of Positive Temperament

Abstract

For a long time, associations between temperamental reactivity, emotion regulation (ER) strategies, and depression in youth were studied with a primary focus on the adverse impact of the negative emotionality (NE) temperament dimension and maladaptive ER strategies. The current study aims to answer the question whether positive emotionality (PE) and adaptive ER strategies also play a role in these associations. In a convenience sample of 176 youth (9-18 years; M = 13.58, SD = .94) data were obtained on NE and PE, the use of both maladaptive and adaptive ER strategies, and depressive symptoms. Results indicate that higher levels of NE and lower levels of PE were both associated with more depressive symptoms. Additionally, we found the interaction of NE and PE to be significantly related to depressive symptoms, with lower levels of PE being a vulnerability factor, facilitating the relationship between higher levels of NE and symptoms. Third, higher levels of NE were associated with the use of more maladaptive ER strategies, but were unrelated to adaptive ER strategies. There was no association between PE, and either maladaptive or adaptive ER strategies. Fourth, higher levels of maladaptive ER strategies, and lower levels of adaptive ER strategies were both associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Finally, no evidence was found for the mediation of ER strategies in the relationship between temperamental reactivity and depressive symptoms. Current study findings underline the need of identifying resilience factors for depression in youth. Insight into such factors is pivotal for the successful development and implementation of prevention and intervention programs.

Don't worry, be happy: The role of positive emotionality and adaptive emotion regulation strategies for youth depressive symptoms

“…Clinical practitioners also should consider EC when training youth to use an adaptive ER strategy (Van Beveren, McIntosh, et al ., ; Van Beveren, Mezulis, Wante, & Braet, ). Given that EC may play a central role in linking reactive temperament to adaptive ER (Fox & Calkins, ; Lonigan & Vasey, ; Verstraeten, Vasey, Raes, & Bijttebier, ), more extensive treatment may be needed for youth low in EC.…”

“…Until now, research has largely focused on the role of maladaptive ER strategies as risk factors for youth depression (Mezulis, Priess, & Hyde, ) and the greater presence of maladaptive ER strategies among youth with high NE (Mezulis et al ., ). However, recent studies suggest that a lack of adaptive ER strategies also may confer risk of depression (Braet et al ., ; Schäfer, Naumann, Holmes, Tuschen‐Caffier, & Samson, ) and impair youth's ability to adaptively regulate negative affect, which is uniquely related to temperamental PE (Van Beveren, McIntosh, et al ., ; Van Beveren, Mezulis, Wante, & Braet, ). This study seeks to integrate the largely distinct empirical discussions on temperament and ER by examining the joint contributions of PE and adaptive ER strategies on youth depressive symptoms.…”

“…Starting from affective models on depression, high NE and low PE are identified as vulnerability factors for the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms in children, adolescents, and adults (Clark & Watson, ; Lonigan et al ., ). Although both theory and research suggest that low PE is also of specific interest when studying depression (Lonigan et al ., ; Van Beveren, McIntosh, et al ., ; Van Beveren, Mezulis, Wante, & Braet, ), research on affective vulnerabilities to depression focuses on NE and largely ignores the role of PE for depression (Gilbert, ). Yet, as the effects of positive emotions appear to be distinct from those of negative emotions (Garland et al ., ), a more profound insight into problems in positive emotional functioning may provide a promising avenue for better understanding the risk of youth depression (Carl, Soskin, Kerns, & Barlow, ).…”

The role of emotion regulation in predicting personality dimensions

“…The second iteration of this measure (SNAP‐2) is composed of 15 trait personality dimensions, which include negative temperament, disinhibition, impulsivity, self‐harm, aggression, manipulativeness, exhibitionism, entitlement, dependency, detachment, workaholism, propriety, eccentric perceptions, mistrust and positive temperament. Of these domains, negative temperament, positive temperament, disinhibition, impulsivity, self‐harm, aggression, dependency and mistrust have been linked to emotion regulation . To our knowledge, no studies have explicitly examined the relationships between dimensions central to Cluster A and C personality disorders such as detachment, exhibitionism, entitlement, workaholism, propriety, or eccentric perceptions, and emotion regulation variables.…”

“…Of these domains, negative temperament, positive temperament, disinhibition, impulsivity, self-harm, aggression, dependency and mistrust have been linked to emotion regulation. [25][26][27][28][29][30][31] To our knowledge, no studies have explicitly examined the relationships between dimensions central to Cluster A and C personality disorders such as detachment, exhibitionism, entitlement, workaholism, propriety, or eccentric perceptions, and emotion regulation variables.…”