Emotion regulation strategies as transdiagnostic processes: A closer look at the invariance of their form and function

Abstract

Recent investigations suggest that emotion regulation can be conceptualized as a transdiagnosticprocess (Kring & Sloan, 2010). Specifically, the habitual use of putatively maladaptiveemotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination, suppression), and the infrequent use of putativelyadaptive strategies (e.g., acceptance, reappraisal) have been shown to predict various symptoms ofpsychopathology (Aldao et al., 2010). However, little is known about the extent to which the differentfacets that constitute the process of implementing such strategies can be conceptualized astransdiagnostic. I propose the adoption of a functional behavioral approach to delineate which aspectsof such implementation (i.e., form, function) are variant and which are invariant across disorders.This approach has the potential to further our understanding of the transdiagnostic and disorderspecificmechanisms by which emotion regulation is associated with the development, maintenance,and treatment of mental disorders.