Spanish adaptation and psychometric properties of the child version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

Validation of the short version of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for adolescents in Norway

BACKGROUND/AIM

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) is among the most popular and widely used measures of emotion regulation across age groups. This study aimed to validate the CERQ short version (CERQ-short) for use on adolescents in the Norwegian population.

METHOD

A sample of 3461 adolescents (47.3% girls) aged 12-16 years was recruited through the UEVO population-based study of child maltreatment in Norway. Factor structure, reliability, measurement invariance and criterion validity were investigated.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original nine-factor model including 18 items; however, not a two-factor structure nor a higher order two-factor solution. Internal consistency was adequate for all subscales, with alpha levels ranging from .73 to .84 between subscales across genders. Relationships with internalizing problems measured with the 10-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist and health-related quality of life according to KIDSCREEN-10 supported the criterion-related validity of the Norwegian CERQ-short.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that the CERQ-short can be used to measure cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the Norwegian adolescent population. The validation of the CERQ-short in Norway could significantly improve mental health care by facilitating better diagnosis, treatment planning, and evaluation, as well as informing public health policy and cross-cultural research.

Effectiveness of attachment-based compassion therapy to reduce psychological distress in university students: a randomised controlled trial protocol

Introduction

Higher education, particularly university, is a challenge for many students that can lead to their mental health being seriously affected. The stress to which they are subject throughout their time at university can lead to anxiety and depression. "Third wave" psychotherapies, including compassion-based therapy, have been used to improve psychological outcomes, such as stress, anxiety, emotional distress and well-being. There are some signs that third wave psychotherapies reduce psychological distress in university students, but more and higher-quality studies are needed. In this randomised controlled trial (RCT), we hypothesise that the provision of attachment-based compassion therapy (ABCT) will be more effective than an active control group based on relaxation therapy for improving psychological distress in university students.

Methods and analysis

A two-arm RCT will be conducted involving 140 university undergraduate and postgraduate students from the University of Zaragoza and the National University of Distance Education (UNED) who reside in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. Interventions with either ABCT or relaxation therapy will be implemented, with an allocation ratio of 1:1 between groups. Both interventions will last six weeks and consist of six weekly group sessions lasting 1.5 h each. Data will be collected before and after the intervention, and there will be a follow-up at six months. The primary outcome will be psychological distress at post-intervention. Secondary outcomes will be depression, anxiety, stress and burnout symptoms, affectivity and emotional regulation. Attachment style, experiential avoidance, compassion (for others/oneself) and mindfulness skills will be measured as potential mechanistic variables. Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed using linear mixed regression models. The clinical significance of improvements will be calculated. Potential side effects will be monitored by an independent clinical psychologist.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Aragón. Participant data will remain anonymous, and results will be submitted to peer-reviewed open-access journals and disseminated via conferences.

Clinical Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05197595.

Association between Facebook Addiction, Depression, and Emotional Regulation among Women

Facebook has grown to be one of the most widely used communication platforms. A new condition linked with widespread use has emerged with its expanding popularity: Facebook addiction. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used in the current study, in two randomly selected villages (Elmanial and Batra) and one town (Talkha city) affiliated with Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. Data were collected from women only through using a self-administered socio-demographic questionnaire, Facebook addiction scale, Beck depression inventory-II, and emotional regulation scale. The study found 83.7% of the studied women reported moderate emotional regulation; 27.9% had moderate Facebook addiction, and 23.9% reported mild depression. The study concluded there was a significant negative correlation between Facebook addiction and emotional regulation.

Relationship between Cognitive Strategies of Emotion Regulation and Dimensions of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptomatology in Adolescents

Cognitive emotion regulation refers to the management of one's emotions through cognitive strategies. Studies have found that individuals with obsessive-compulsive symptoms utilize emotion regulation strategies differently compared to those without these symptoms. This study aims to investigate the relationship between cognitive strategies for emotion regulation and specific dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adolescents. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 307 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. Associations between sociodemographic variables, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and emotion regulation strategies were examined using regression and network analyses. Regression results indicated that emotion regulation strategies and gender accounted for 28.2% of the variation in overall obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.001) and that emotion regulation explained most variance in the symptom dimension of obsessing. Network analysis showed that self-blame and catastrophizing were uniquely linked to overall obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while several strategies were uniquely linked to specific symptom dimensions. The adaptive strategy that demonstrated the strongest association with obsessive-compulsive symptoms was refocus on planning, while maladaptive strategies included catastrophizing, self-blame, and rumination. In conclusion, the results support the relationship between cognitive strategies for emotion regulation and dimensions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adolescents, though these relations appear complex and require further investigation. Addressing emotion regulation in the prevention of obsessive-compulsive symptoms may be warranted, but prospective studies are needed.

Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short: Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance of the Italian Version

OBJECTIVE

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) is a widely used instrument to assess cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Italian short version of the CERQ (CERQ-IS).

METHODS

Two separate samples of 442 young adults (M_age = 21.12; SD = 3.69) and 256 adolescents (M_age = 14.81; SD = 0.59) completed the CERQ, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to evaluate the dimensionality of the CERQ-IS. Internal consistency was analysed by calculating model-based composite reliability coefficients. Criterion and discriminant validity were gathered through the correlations with the ERQ and the MPS, respectively. Factorial invariances tests across gender and age were computed by means of multiple-group CFA.

RESULTS

CFA confirmed the nine-factor structure showing an excellent fit to the data. Except for rumination which was minimally acceptable, all subscales had an acceptable to good reliability. Criterion validity was supported by significant correlations between CERQ-IS and ERQ subscales. Discriminant validity was confirmed by meaningless correlations with the MPS facets. Configural, metric and scalar invariance were established across both grouping variables.

CONCLUSIONS

The brevity of this tool and its good psychometric properties suggest that CERQ-IS could be a useful screening tool in both clinical and research practice in adolescence and young adulthood.

Pathways from Maternal Harsh Discipline Through Rumination to Anxiety and Depression Symptoms: Gender and Normativeness of Harsh Discipline as Moderators

This study examined gender-specific longitudinal pathways from harsh parenting through rumination to anxiety and depression symptoms among early adolescents from three countries and six subgroups. Participants were 567 mothers, 428 fathers, and 566 children (T1: Mage = 10.89; 50% girls) from Medellín, Colombia (n = 100); Naples, Italy (n = 95); Rome, Italy (n = 99); Durham, North Carolina, United States (Black n = 92, Latinx n = 80, and White n = 100). Parent reported maternal and paternal harsh parenting were measured at T1. Adolescent reported rumination was measured at T2 (Mage = 12.58) and anxiety and depression symptoms were measured at T1 and T3 (Mage = 13.71). Rumination mediated the pathway from maternal harsh discipline to girls' anxiety and depression symptoms, controlling for baseline anxiety and depression symptoms. The more harsh discipline mothers used, the more their daughters ruminated, which in turn was associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms. Exploratory moderated mediation analyses indicated that the strength of the mediational pathway from maternal harsh discipline through girls' rumination to anxiety and depression symptoms decreased as the normativeness of harsh parenting increased. Mediational pathways for boys and for paternal harsh discipline were not significant. Our findings expand knowledge on specific contexts in which rumination is a mechanism for understanding pathways to anxiety and depression symptoms.

Nighttime coping response in children: Development and validation of a new scale

Coping strategies can play an important role in dealing with nighttime fears and related anxiety problems in school-aged children, but well-established self-reporting tools are lacking, and research in this area is limited. The aim of this study was to develop a new self-report instrument assessing coping strategies in school-aged children when facing nighttime fears, the Nighttime Coping Response Scale (NCRS), and to examine its psychometric properties. Participants were 786 children (48.7% boys) aged 8-12 years, who completed the NCRS and other measures related to anxiety and behavioral problems. The construction of the NCRS was based on relevant prior literature and experts' criteria. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported a three-factor structure, comprising 15 items measuring coping strategies related to self-control, social support seeking, and avoidance. The NCRS was shown to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent and divergent validity. This research found preliminary support for the use of the NCRS, suggesting the potential suitability of this brief tool to be used by clinicians and researchers to identify and address the use of children's maladaptive coping strategies when dealing with nighttime fears. The NCRS could also be important to enable the development of further research in this field.

Emotion Regulation in Adolescents: Evidence of the Validity and Factor Structure of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ)

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) is an assessment tool to evaluate cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The main objective of this study is to provide new empirical evidence about the validity and reliability of the CERQ via a sample of 271 Spanish adolescents (136 female, 135 male) aged from 15 to 18 years (M = 15.7, SD = 0.76). The analytical process was carried out in two phases. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the polychoric correlation matrix between items. Four possible alternative models were contrasted: two models with nine factors and two models with two second-order factors and nine first-order factors, with 36 and 27 items, respectively. The model with nine correlated factors and 27 items obtained the best indices of overall fit. Subsequently, the reliability of the measurements was estimated on this model. The results reaffirm the validity of the 27-item version of the CERQ over the original 36-item structure. The findings also confirm that the CERQ is a reliable instrument for the evaluation of emotion regulation strategies in adolescents.

Cognitive Emotional Regulation Questionnaire: a Factorial Validation Study in Spanish for Children (CERQ-k)

Background:

The cognitive regulation of emotions is a fundamental variable in socio-affective functioning, being an essential skill in childhood due to its relationship with multiple areas of social functioning. Although there is a version that allows evaluating this construct (CERQ-k), translated and adapted for Argentine children, the structural model found does not fully coincide with the model proposed by the authors of the original version of CERQ.

Objective:

To test, through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the model obtained in the adapted version and compare it with that of the original version of the instrument.

Method:

From a non-probabilistic sample, 761 children between the ages of 9 and 12, from the provinces of Entre Ríos and Córdoba, participated in the study. Descriptive analyzes of the items, CFA, and reliability analysis were carried out.

Results:

The CFA indicated an adequate fit in both models, although the second-order model proved to be more parsimonious and with satisfactory fit and error indices.

Conclusion:

The CERQ-k version adapted to Argentina, whose structure has been confirmed in this study, allows a valid and reliable measure of the construct to evaluate the cognitive regulation of emotion in children aged 9 to 12 years.

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Cognitive Emotional Regulation Difficulties Questionnaire (CERQ) in Higher Education Students in Times of Covid-19

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) is an instrument developed to assess the cognitive strategies of emotional regulation used by people after experiencing a negative event. The present study aimed to validate the Spanish version of the CERQ in students of the University of Granada (Spain) during the Covid-19 homebound. An online scale was developed and applied based on the Spanish version of the CERQ-S36, consisting of 36 items structured around nine cognitive strategies. Using a mixed sampling, the scale was applied to 450 students from different degree programmes. Regarding the psychometric results of the scale, firstly, in relation to reliability as internal consistency, we found that the scale applied to University students in a Covid-19 setting is highly stable. Secondly, in reference to concurrent criterion validity, we can conclude that the items individually measure the same as the total scale (taken as internal criterion), and thirdly and finally, in relation to construct validation, the two factor analyses implemented, one exploratory and the other confirmatory in nature, conform a factor structure of latent dimensions identical to the original one. In conclusion, the results obtained as a whole suggest that the CERQ-S36 scale could be useful for assessing cognitive coping in University populations in times of crisis. In situations such as the current global emergency due to the presence of Covid-19, the scale is useful for understanding emotional regulation strategies. More studies should be carried out with this scale to find out how emotions influence and what consequences they have on the health and psychological functioning of University students in times of social crisis.

Rumination, Catastrophizing, and Other-Blame: The Cognitive-Emotional Regulation Strategies Involved in Anxiety-Related Life Interference in Anxious Children

Childhood anxiety problems have a great impact on the daily functioning of children and their families. The first objective of this study was to compare whether the use of cognitive-emotional regulation strategies differs in children with and without anxious symptomatology. A second objective was to analyze the possible mediating role of regulation strategies in the relationship between the presence of anxious symptomatology and its subsequent interference in children's lives. In total, 315 children (53.7% boys) between 8 and 12 years old participated. Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon U-test was used to analyze differences in the use of cognitive-emotional regulation strategies between children with and without anxious symptomatology. In order to identify the cognitive-emotional regulation strategies which mediate the relation between anxiety and the consequent interference in children's lives, mediation analyses were carried out. As expected, children with anxious symptomatology used more maladaptive regulatory strategies than those without such symptomatology. Multiple mediation models in parallel showed that catastrophizing, rumination, and other-blame mediated the relationship between anxiety problems and their consequent interference. The identification of functional or dysfunctional patterns of cognitive-emotion regulation may favor the inclusion of new components in the evidence-based interventions currently available, in an attempt to increase rates of remission of anxiety.

Effects of Age and Gender in Emotion Regulation of Children and Adolescents

Emotional regulation, understood as the skills and strategies needed to influence and/or modify the emotional experiences, has a very remarkable implication within numerous emotional and behavioral disorders in childhood and adolescence. In recent years there has been a significant increase in research on emotional regulation, however, the results are still divergent in terms of differences in emotional regulation in relation to age and gender. This study aimed to assess emotional regulation in adolescents in relation to their age and gender. Two hundred and fifty-four adolescents from eight schools in the Valencian Community and aged between 9 and 16 years participated in the study. The adolescents completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the FEEL-KJ questionnaire. We analyzed the differences in emotional regulation strategies and a latent emotional regulation variable in two age groups (9-12 years and 13-16 years) and by gender. The results suggested that children and pre-adolescents in the 9-12 year group obtained lower scores in the emotional regulation strategies than the 13-16 year group. Girls reported higher scores on the use of emotional regulation strategies when experiencing sadness, anxiety and anger than boys, and on the overall average of regulation according to these specific emotions. Age, but not gender, had a major effect on scores for the latent variable of emotion regulation. An interaction effect between age and gender was identified in the latent emotion regulation scores. Girls tended to have higher scores than boys when they were younger and lower scores than boys when they were older. These results could be relevant for designing prevention and intervention programs for adolescents and at different ages.

A Systematic Review of Instruments to Assess Guilt in Children and Adolescents

Background: Guilt feelings have received considerable attention in past psychological theory and research. Several studies have been conducted that represent a range of views and propose various implications of guilt in children and adolescents. Variations in theoretical definitions of guilt, emphasizing a lack of measurement convergence, make it difficult to derive a comprehensive definition of the construct in childhood and adolescence. Research shows substantial variability in instruments used to measure guilt in children and adolescents. Purpose: The aim is to discuss existing contributions, illustrating the empirical validity of the available instruments used to measure guilt and identifying the nature of their theoretical backgrounds among children and adolescents. Methods: A systematic search was conducted using the following databases: PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed (all years up to February 19, 2020). Search terms were compiled into three concepts for all databases: "measure," "guilt," and "childhood/adolescence." In addition, a search was conducted to detect the gray literature. Results: After removing the duplicates, a total of 1,408 records were screened, resulting in the identification of 166 full-text articles to be further scrutinized. Upon closer examination, there was consensus that 148 of those studies met the study inclusion criteria or were not retrieved. Twenty-five studies were included in the quality assessment. The data were organized on three main categories: (1) interpersonal or prosocial guilt; (2) intrapunitive guilt or that referring to an excessive sense of responsibility; (3) not specifying a theoretical construct. A great heterogeneity in psychometric evaluations and substantial variability in guilt construct emerged. The construct most represented and supported by valid instruments was interpersonal or prosocial guilt. Analysis of the gray literature showed that some instruments were not immediately available to the clinical and scientific communities. Conclusions: The studies analyzed and selected for qualitative review employed various instruments to measure guilt. Results confirmed what is widely documented in the literature about substantial variability in instruments used to measure guilt. We argue the need to develop measures that assess currently overlooked dimensions of guilt and to provide further additional information about the psychometric proprieties of the available developed instruments.

The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Problem Gaming Among Adolescents: A Nationally Representative Survey Study

Explanatory theoretical models have proposed an association between problematic online gaming and abilities or strategies in alleviating distress or negative emotions in times of stress as proximal non-gaming-related personality factors. However, there is little research that has targeted how emotion regulation relates to problematic online gaming-especially during adolescence when gaming behavior is most prevalent. In emotion regulation research, there has been a particular emphasis on rumination because it is strongly associated with overall psychopathology. However, it is unknown whether this putatively maladaptive strategy relates to problematic online gaming and whether it is a gender-dependent association. Consequently, the present study examined how emotion regulation strategies, and particularly rumination, related to problem gaming and tested whether gender moderated this relationship in adolescents. In a national representative adolescent sample, 46.9% of the participants (N = 1,646) reported online gaming in the past 12 months and provided information on problematic gaming, and it was these data that were used for further analysis. Their data concerning problematic online gaming and emotion regulation strategies were analyzed, including rumination along with other putatively maladaptive (e.g., catastrophizing) and adaptive (e.g., positive reappraisal) strategies, while controlling for age, gender, and game genre preference. Results of linear regression analyses showed that all the putatively maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (including self-blame, other blame, catastrophizing, and rumination) were positively related to problematic online gaming. Positive reappraisal proved to be a protective factor; it was inversely related to problematic online gaming. In addition, the relationship between rumination and online gaming was moderated by gender (i.e., the relationship was stronger among boys). Based on the results, it is argued that emotion regulation is a useful framework to study problematic online gaming. The present study highlighted that the relative predictive value of rumination for problematic online gaming varied for boys and girls, suggesting that trait rumination might be a gender-specific vulnerability factor for problematic online gaming, but this requires further investigation and replication.