The Relationship Between Interoceptive Awareness, Emotion Regulation and Clinical Symptoms Severity of Depression, Anxiety and Somatization
Author: Su Jin Lee1, Mimi Lee2, Hyeong Beom Kim3, Hyu Jung Huh4,5
Affiliation:
1 Department of Psychology, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
2 Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
3 Department of Social Welfare, Soongsil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
4 Department of Psychiatry, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
5 Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Conference/Journal: Psychiatry Investig
Date published: 2024 Mar 1
Other:
Volume ID: 21 , Issue ID: 3 , Pages: 255-264 , Special Notes: doi: 10.30773/pi.2023.0221. , Word Count: 268
Objective:
The primary objective of this study was to examine the associations among emotion regulation strategies, interoceptive awareness, and psychological distress measures-namely, depression, anxiety, and somatization. Additionally, we aimed to explore the predictive power of various facets of interoceptive awareness in determining the severity of symptoms for each mental disorder.
Methods:
A cohort of 130 outpatients diagnosed with depression/anxiety disorder were recruited, and 20 subjects exhibiting incomplete responses were excluded from the dataset, leading to a final sample size of 110 outpatients. The clinical symptoms were measured by Patient Health Questionnaire-9, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y, and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, and the usage of emotion-regulation strategies and interoceptive awareness was assessed with Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), respectively. A hierarchical regression analysis was performed to examine whether emotion-regulation strategies and interoceptive awareness explain the statistically significant variance in each of the symptoms.
Results:
In the depression model, cognitive reappraisal, accept, and attention regulation showed significant associations, while in the anxiety model, cognitive reappraisal, attention regulation, trust, and notice emerged as significant factors. Lastly, cognitive reappraisal and attention regulation were found to be significant contributors to the final model for somatization.
Conclusion:
The inclusion of MAIA subscales improved the predictive ability of the regression model, highlighting the independent association between interoceptive awareness-particularly attention regulation-and clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, the study underscores the relevance of considering the specific pathological context when implementing interventions, as evidenced by the positive associations between the accept subscale and depression and between the notice subscale and anxiety, respectively.
Keywords: Anxiety disorder; Depressive disorder; Emotional regulation; Interoception.
PMID: 38569583 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2023.0221
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