Department of Epidemiology, University of Maryland School of Public Health, USA.
Department of Psychology, Chapman University, USA.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2024 Nov;169:107163. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107163. Epub 2024 Aug 5.
Emerging work suggests that affect regulation strategies (e.g., active coping, anger expression) predict disease and mortality risk, with sometimes divergent estimates by sex or education levels. However, few studies have examined potential underlying biological mechanisms. This study assessed the longitudinal association of affect regulation with future allostatic load.
In 2004-2006, 574 participants from the Midlife in the United States study completed validated scales assessing use of nine general and emotion-specific regulatory strategies (e.g., denial, anger expression). As a proxy for how flexibly participants regulate their affect, variability in the use of regulatory strategies was operationalized using a standard deviation-based algorithm and considered categorically (i.e., lower, moderate, greater variability) to assess non-linear effects. Participants also provided data on relevant covariates and 24 allostatic load biomarkers (e.g., cortisol, blood pressure). In 2017-2021, these biomarkers were again collected. Linear regressions modeled betas (β) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) examining associations of affect regulatory constructs with future allostatic load.
In fully-adjusted models including initial allostatic load, general regulatory strategies were unrelated to future allostatic load. Yet, greater versus moderate affect regulation variability levels predicted lower allostatic load (β=-0.14; 95 %CI: -0.27, -0.01). Only among more educated participants, greater use of anger expression predicted lower allostatic load, while the reverse was noted with anger control (β=-0.12; 95 %CI: -0.20, -0.05; β=0.14; 95 %CI: 0.05, 0.24).
While general regulatory strategies appeared unrelated to allostatic load, greater variability in their use and anger-related strategies showed predictive value. Subsequent studies should examine these associations in larger, more diverse samples.
新兴研究表明，情绪调节策略（例如，积极应对、表达愤怒）可预测疾病和死亡率风险，而性别或教育水平有时会对此产生不同的估计。然而，很少有研究探讨潜在的生物学机制。本研究评估了情绪调节与未来应激负荷之间的纵向关联。
2004-2006 年，来自美国中年研究的 574 名参与者完成了评估九种一般和情绪特定调节策略（例如否认、表达愤怒）使用情况的经过验证的量表。为了衡量参与者调节情绪的灵活性，使用基于标准差的算法对调节策略的使用变异性进行了操作化，并将其分类（即较低、中等、较高变异性）以评估非线性效应。参与者还提供了与相关协变量和 24 种应激负荷生物标志物（例如皮质醇、血压）的数据。2017-2021 年，再次收集这些生物标志物数据。线性回归模型分析了情绪调节结构与未来应激负荷之间的关联。
在包含初始应激负荷的完全调整模型中，一般调节策略与未来应激负荷无关。然而，与中等水平相比，更大的情绪调节变异性水平预示着较低的应激负荷（β=-0.14；95%CI：-0.27，-0.01）。仅在受教育程度较高的参与者中，更大程度地使用表达愤怒预测了较低的应激负荷，而控制愤怒则相反（β=-0.12；95%CI：-0.20，-0.05；β=0.14；95%CI：0.05，0.24）。
虽然一般调节策略似乎与应激负荷无关，但它们使用的变异性和与愤怒相关的策略具有预测价值。后续研究应在更大、更多样化的样本中检验这些关联。
