Raudales Alexa M, Kiefer Reina, Newberger Noam G, Ferguson Jewelia J, Contractor Ateka A, Weiss Nicole H
Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island.
Department of Psychology, University of North Texas.
Psychol Trauma. 2025 Feb;17(2):363-371. doi: 10.1037/tra0001786. Epub 2024 Sep 9.
Emotion dysregulation plays a central role in the etiology and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Individual differences in physiological responses to emotionally evocative events may influence the strength of this association. The objective of this study was to test whether cortisol reactivity following idiographic emotion induction tasks moderated the relation between emotion dysregulation and PTSS severity.
Participants were 94 community women currently experiencing intimate partner violence and using substances (age: = 40.5 years; 35.2% Black; 61.5% unemployed). PTSS severity was assessed at baseline via a clinician-administered diagnostic interview. Participants provided a self-report of emotion dysregulation at baseline. Samples of salivary cortisol were collected pre-, during, and postidiographic emotion inductions during an experimental session.
A significant emotion dysregulation by cortisol reactivity interaction was found ( = 0.18, = .02). Emotion dysregulation was related to PTSS severity for those with high ( = 0.13, < .001), but not low ( = -0.001, = .99), levels of cortisol reactivity following idiographic emotion inductions.
Findings provide novel evidence of the interplay of emotion dysregulation and cortisol reactivity, an indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system axis stress reactivity, following emotionally evocative stimuli in relation to PTSS severity. Information from this study may help to identify individuals who are at highest risk of more severe PTSS. Future work is needed to replicate findings among diverse populations impacted by trauma (e.g., veterans, men). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
情绪调节障碍在创伤后应激症状（PTSS）的病因和维持中起着核心作用。个体对情绪唤起事件的生理反应差异可能会影响这种关联的强度。本研究的目的是测试在个性化情绪诱导任务后皮质醇反应性是否调节了情绪调节障碍与PTSS严重程度之间的关系。
参与者为94名目前正在经历亲密伴侣暴力且使用药物的社区女性（年龄：平均40.5岁；35.2%为黑人；61.5%失业）。在基线时通过临床医生进行的诊断访谈评估PTSS严重程度。参与者在基线时提供情绪调节障碍的自我报告。在实验过程中，在个性化情绪诱导前、期间和之后收集唾液皮质醇样本。
发现情绪调节障碍与皮质醇反应性之间存在显著的交互作用（β = 0.18，p = .02）。对于在个性化情绪诱导后皮质醇反应性高的个体（β = 0.13，p < .001），情绪调节障碍与PTSS严重程度相关，但对于皮质醇反应性低的个体（β = -0.001，p = .99）则不相关。
研究结果为情绪调节障碍与皮质醇反应性之间的相互作用提供了新的证据，皮质醇反应性是下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺系统轴应激反应性的一个指标，与情绪唤起刺激后PTSS严重程度有关。本研究的信息可能有助于识别PTSS更严重风险最高的个体。未来需要开展工作，在受创伤的不同人群（如退伍军人、男性）中复制研究结果。（PsycInfo数据库记录（c）2025美国心理学会，保留所有权利）
