Psychiatry Research
Volume 170, Issue 2 , Pages 108-113, 30 December 2009

Emotion regulation strategies in patients with schizophrenia

  • Lisette van der Meer

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 50 3638999; fax: +31 50 3638875.
    • ,
  • Mascha van't Wout

      Affiliations

    • Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
    • Department of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
    • ,
  • André Aleman

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
    • Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Received 29 January 2009; received in revised form 22 June 2009; accepted 15 July 2009.

Abstract 

Schizophrenia patients might experience difficulties in applying two widely used emotion regulation strategies, reappraisal and suppression. We investigated the relationships among emotion regulation strategies, alexithymia (i.e. inability to identify and verbalize feelings) and the role of pre-morbid IQ on alexithymia in schizophrenia. Participants comprised 31 schizophrenia patients and 44 healthy subjects who were tested on measures of emotion regulation strategies (ERQ), alexithymia (BVAQ) and pre-morbid IQ (NART). Patients reported significantly more use of suppression strategies and tended to use reappraisal strategies less frequently. Patients differed significantly on the cognitive–emotional component of alexithymia. This difference remained significant even with pre-morbid IQ as a covariate, but disapeared with depression as a covariate. Schizophrenia patients have specific difficulties identifying their feelings. These difficulties were related to symptoms of depression. Interventions specifically targeted at affect regulation and recognition of emotional state could promote emotional well-being in schizophrenia patients.

Keywords: Alexithymia, Emotion regulation, Verbal IQ, Schizophrenia, Suppression, Reappraisal

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PII: S0165-1781(09)00277-7

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2009.07.010

Psychiatry Research
Volume 170, Issue 2 , Pages 108-113, 30 December 2009

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