Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume 173, 2015, Pages 185-192

Emotion dysregulation mediates the relationship between trauma exposure, post-migration living difficulties and psychological outcomes in traumatized refugees (Article)

Nickerson A.* , Bryant R.A. , Schnyder U. , Schick M. , Mueller J. , Morina N.
  • a School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • b School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • c Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Zurich University Hospital, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland
  • d Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Zurich University Hospital, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland
  • e Psychiatric Services Thurgau, Münsterlingen, 8596, Switzerland
  • f Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Zurich University Hospital, Zurich, 8091, 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. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Depression posttraumatic stress disorder Refugees Emotion regulation Torture trauma

Index Keywords

cultural anthropology depression refugee Emotions human Refugees middle aged injury anger Depressive Disorder Cross-Sectional Studies mental disease cross-sectional study Humans psychology male female Article emotion major clinical study adult emotionality migration posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic outcome assessment disease association Culture
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84912074461&doi=10.1016%2fj.jad.2014.10.043&partnerID=40&md5=edaacd0456c80a33f88864ea7aa1f4d2
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.043
ISSN: 01650327
Cited by: 33
Original Language: English