Emotion regulation deficits in intermittent explosive disorder

Abstract

Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by repeated acts of affective aggression. Despite the diagnostic emphasis on the failure to control aggressive impulses, there is little research on affective processes and emotion regulation in IED; however, this research suggests possible dysfunctions in experiences of emotional intensity and lability. The hypothesis in the present study was that compared to individuals with other psychiatric disorders, and psychologically healthy individuals, individuals with IED experience greater negative affect intensity and emotional lability. Participants (N = 373) consisted of 202 individuals diagnosed with IED, 68 non-IED psychiatric controls (PC), and 103 healthy volunteers (HV). Emotion regulation was assessed using the General Behavior Inventory, the Affective Lability Scale, and the Affect Intensity Measure. Results showed that IED participants reported greater negative affect intensity and greater emotional lability across several emotion domains (e.g., anger, anxiety, depression) than PC and HV participants. These findings suggest that IED is characterized by more global emotion regulation deficits than those associated with anger alone. Aggr. Behav. 41:25-33 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social emotional information processing in adults: Development and psychometrics of a computerized video assessment in healthy controls and aggressive individuals

“…More recently, the role of emotion has been incorporated into this model (Lemerise and Arsenio, 2000) and it is now referred to as a social-emotional information processing (SEIP) model. This addition reflects what we know about the role of negative affect in aggressive behavior (Berkowitz, 1990; Verona et al, 2002), as well as evidence that aggressive individuals have more trait anger (McCloskey et al, 2006), emotional lability (Fettich et al, 2014), and greater physiological reactivity (Patrick, 2008). …”

Anxious and Aggressive: The Co-Occurrence of Ied With Anxiety Disorders

“…Commonalities between IED and anxiety disorders include a diminished ability to regulate emotions and tolerate distress and heightened psychological arousal [24; 35]. Fettich et al document that individuals with IED demonstrate global emotional regulation deficits, beyond anger alone [14]. Both IED [36] and anxiety disorders [37] are familial, suggesting there may be at least some degree of genetic vulnerability to both.…”

“…Difficulty controlling aggression and anger is likely associated with a host of negative consequences for individuals with anxiety disorders (e.g., greater fear and avoidance of situations that previously triggered aggression), although little research has examined this possibility. Individuals with IED have deficits in general emotion regulation, not just anger and aggression, suggesting that broader comorbidities should also be considered [14]. In particular, there is a lack of research on how aggression and IED influence anxiety disorders in adolescence, despite the fact that uncontrollable aggression and the use of aggression as a proactive emotion regulation strategy are more common among adolescents than adults [15], and IED typically begins in early adolescence [1; 4].…”

Development of a social emotional information processing assessment for adults (SEIP‐Q)

“…We refer to this updated model as a social-emotional information processing (SIEP) model. This addition reflects what we know about the role of negative affect in aggressive behavior (Berkowitz, 1990;Verona, Patrick, & Lang, 2002) as well as evidence that aggressive individuals have more trait anger (McCloskey et al, 2006), emotional lability (Fettich, McCloskey, Look, & Coccaro, 2015), and greater physiological reactivity (Patrick, 2008).…”