Adolescent harm avoidance as a longitudinal predictor of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation in adulthood: The mediating role of inhibitory control

Shahrzad Izadpanah; Maren Schumacher; Elisabeth A Arens; Malte Stopsack; Ines Ulrich; Michel Hansenne; Hans Jörgen Grabe; Sven Barnow

doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.07.006

Adolescent harm avoidance as a longitudinal predictor of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation in adulthood: The mediating role of inhibitory control

J Adolesc. 2016 Oct:52:49-59. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.07.006. Epub 2016 Aug 3.

Authors

Shahrzad Izadpanah¹, Maren Schumacher², Elisabeth A Arens³, Malte Stopsack⁴, Ines Ulrich⁵, Michel Hansenne⁶, Hans Jörgen Grabe⁷, Sven Barnow⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: Shahrzad.Izadpanah@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de.
² Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: Maren.aldinger@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de.
³ Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: e.arens@psych.uni-frankfurt.de.
⁴ Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: Malte.stopsack@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de.
⁵ Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: Ines.ulrich@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: Michel.Hansenne@ulg.ac.be.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Germany. Electronic address: Grabeh@uni-greifswald.de.
⁸ Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: Sven.barnow@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de.

PMID: 27494741
DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.07.006

Abstract

The current study investigates the effect of adolescent harm avoidance (HA) on maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (mCER) in early adulthood. The mediating role of inhibitory control and the moderating effect of gender on this link were also examined. Longitudinal data from 261 adolescents (147 female) were collected in three phases (T0, T1 and T2) over approximately 10 years. Results revealed that, after controlling for HA in adulthood (T2), female adolescents' HA (T0) significantly predicted mCER strategies after 10 years (T2), whereas male adolescents' HA only predicted catastrophizing. In addition, attentional impulsivity (T1) significantly mediated the relation between HA and mCER, though only among women. There was no significant indirect effect for emotional interference and stop-signal reaction time. Results revealed gender and measure specific associations between HA and inhibitory control and suggest that HA could induce inhibitory deficits leading to mCER.

Keywords: Cognitive emotion regulation; Gender differences; Harm avoidance; Impulsivity; Inhibitory control; Temperament.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior / psychology*
Adult
Cognition*
Emotions*
Female
Harm Reduction*
Humans
Male
Surveys and Questionnaires