Angela Nickerson1, Richard A Bryant2, Ulrich Schnyder3, Matthis Schick3, Julia Mueller4, Naser Morina3. 1. School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: anickerson@psy.unsw.edu.au. 2. School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. 3. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Zurich University Hospital, Zurich 8091, Switzerland. 4. Psychiatric Services Thurgau, Münsterlingen 8596, Switzerland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: While emotion dysregulation represents an important mechanism underpinning psychological responses to trauma, little research has investigated this in refugees. In the current study, we examined the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relationship between refugee experiences (trauma and living difficulties) and psychological outcomes. METHODS: Participants were 134 traumatized treatment-seeking refugees who completed measures indexing trauma exposure, post-migration living difficulties, difficulties in emotion regulation, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and explosive anger. RESULTS: Findings revealed distinctive patterns of emotion dysregulation associated with each of these psychological disorders. Results also indicated that emotion regulation difficulties mediated the association between both trauma and psychological symptoms, and living difficulties and psychological symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include a cross-sectional design and the use of measures that had not been validated across all cultural groups in this study. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the key role of emotion dysregulation in psychological responses of refugees, and highlight potential directions for treatment interventions for traumatized refugees.
BACKGROUND: While emotion dysregulation represents an important mechanism underpinning psychological responses to trauma, little research has investigated this in refugees. In the current study, we examined the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relationship between refugee experiences (trauma and living difficulties) and psychological outcomes. METHODS:Participants were 134 traumatized treatment-seeking refugees who completed measures indexing trauma exposure, post-migration living difficulties, difficulties in emotion regulation, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and explosive anger. RESULTS: Findings revealed distinctive patterns of emotion dysregulation associated with each of these psychological disorders. Results also indicated that emotion regulation difficulties mediated the association between both trauma and psychological symptoms, and living difficulties and psychological symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include a cross-sectional design and the use of measures that had not been validated across all cultural groups in this study. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the key role of emotion dysregulation in psychological responses of refugees, and highlight potential directions for treatment interventions for traumatized refugees.
Authors: Wai Kai Hou; Huinan Liu; Li Liang; Jeffery Ho; Hyojin Kim; Eunice Seong; George A Bonanno; Stevan E Hobfoll; Brian J Hall Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2019-12-05 Impact factor: 4.839
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