Emotion Regulation as a Transdiagnostic Process

The current article addresses the consequences of emotion regulation (ER) for mental health. A large body of research has shown that alterations in ER are related to psychological disorders across different diagnostic categories. Because of the apparent ubiquity of ER difficulties in psychopathology, several authors have proposed that ER should be regarded as a transdiagnostic process. This article critically examines evidence regarding alterations in the use of cognitive ER strategies as a transdiagnostic process. Cognitive ER strategies are examined as 1 example of several possible ER-related processes that could be involved in psychopathology. There is consistent evidence showing that a reduced use of cognitive reappraisal and an increased use of negative rumination are present across a number of disorders, whereas increased levels of positive rumination appear to be confined to bipolar disorder. However, there is only preliminary evidence from prospective and/or experimental studies on the causal nature of altered ER strategy use in the development or maintenance of psychopathology. The article concludes by discussing future directions, including methodological and design issues, as well as implications for assessment and treatment when studying alterations in ER from a transdiagnostic perspective.