The effects of two individual differences in emotional process on psychological problems: The mediating role of emotion dysregulation between emotional reactivity and distress

Individual differences in emotional processes have crucial roles in developing and maintaining psychological problems. Emotional reactivity, as one of them, can be defined as how a person responds to emotional stimuli and how one experiences their own emotions in response to those stimuli, which is closely related to emotional disorder. Moreover, how people experience and regulate their negative feelings is closely associated with emotional disorders. This study aimed to test a model that the negative emotional reactivity explained psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) via emotion dysregulation. Data were collected from 385 adults with the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale-Short Form, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Results showed significant positive associations among negative emotional reactivity (activation, duration, and intensity), difficulties in emotion regulation, and depression, anxiety, and stress severities. The tested fully latent structural equation model demonstrated that negative emotional reactivity was associated with psychological symptoms mediated by emotion dysregulation. The rapid activation, high intensity, and long duration of negative emotions might cause emotion dysregulation and explain psychological distress in this way. The results highlighted the importance of individual differences in developing emotion regulation for psychological distress.