Construct Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (DERS-SF): Further Evidence From Community and Student Samples.

The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-SF) in Iran, including testing its measurement invariance across sexes, as well as community and student populations. Two samples were recruited: a community sample of 583 participants (58.7% female; Mage = 33.55) and a university student sample of 409 participants (67.2% female; Mage = 24.48). Besides the DERS-SF, participants completed a battery of instruments online, measuring mentalizing capacity and borderline personality features. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the tenability of the five-factor model, excluding the awareness subscale. Except for the awareness subscale, acceptable to excellent internal consistencies were found for the DERS-SF and its subscales. The awareness-excluded DERS-SF was significantly and strongly associated with relevant constructs (|rs| = .49 to .59). This study also found evidence for configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the DERS-SF across sexes and community and student populations. Our findings extended the evidence for the validity and reliability of the DERS-SF and its awareness-excluded version by administering it in Iranian samples and supporting its cross-cultural applicability.

The Emotion Beliefs Questionnaire: Psychometric properties, norms, and links to affective outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The Emotion Beliefs Questionnaire was recently developed to measure beliefs about the controllability and usefulness of negative and positive emotions. These are beliefs that have been theorised to be influential for emotion regulation and psychological outcomes. However, to date there are few studies utilising large, representative samples to examine the EBQ's psychometric properties and affective correlates. Our aim was to fill this gap by examining the EBQ's psychometric properties and exploring associations between emotion beliefs, emotion regulation, and affective disorder symptoms. METHODS: A sample of 1175 adults recruited from the general population in the United States completed measures of emotion beliefs, emotion regulation, and affective disorder symptoms. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the EBQ's intended subscale structure, where controllability and usefulness beliefs were separated by valence. This structure was invariant across gender, age, and education categories. The EBQ correlated in expected ways with other measures, demonstrating good validity, and had good to excellent levels of internal consistency reliability. LIMITATIONS: This study used a non-clinical sample that was predominantly White. Future work should utilise clinical and cross-cultural samples to maximise generalisability of findings. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the EBQ is a psychometrically sound tool for measuring the multidimensional emotion belief construct. The EBQ may have clinical utility in the conceptualisation, assessment, and treatment of maladaptive emotion beliefs. Furthermore, our results highlight the importance of considering the potential influence of maladaptive emotion beliefs in emotion dysregulation and affective disorder symptoms.

Chinese version of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire: psychometric properties and clinical applications.

Background: The alexithymia trait is of high clinical interest. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) was recently developed to enable detailed facet-level and valence-specific assessments of alexithymia. Aims: In this paper, we introduce the first Chinese version of the PAQ and examine its psychometric properties and clinical applications. Methods: In Study 1, the PAQ was administered to 990 Chinese participants. We examined its factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, as well as convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity. In Study 2, four groups, including a major depressive disorder (MDD) group (n=50), a matched healthy control group for MDD (n=50), a subclinical depression group (n=50) and a matched healthy control group for subclinical depression (n=50), were recruited. Group comparisons were conducted to assess the clinical relevance of the PAQ. Results: In Study 1, the intended five-factor structure of the PAQ was found to fit the data well. The PAQ showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, as well as good convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity. In Study 2, the PAQ was able to successfully distinguish the MDD group and the subclinical depression group from their matched healthy controls. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the PAQ is a valid and reliable instrument for comprehensively assessing alexithymia in the general population and adults with clinical/subclinical depression.

Alexithymia or general psychological distress? Discriminant validity of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia is an important transdiagnostic risk factor for emotion-based psychopathologies. However, it remains unclear whether alexithymia questionnaires actually measure alexithymia, or whether they measure emotional distress. Our aim here was to address this discriminant validity concern via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ). METHOD: United States general community adults (N = 508) completed the TAS-20, PAQ, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). EFA was used to examine the latent dimensions underlying these measures' scores. RESULTS: Our EFA extracted two higher-order factors, an "alexithymia" factor and a "general distress" factor (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress). All PAQ scores loaded cleanly on the alexithymia factor, with no cross-loadings on the distress factor. However, for the TAS-20, Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF) facet scores cross-loaded highly on the distress factor. LIMITATIONS: Our sample consisted of general community adults; future work in clinical settings will be useful. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that the PAQ has good discriminant validity. However, the TAS-20 appears to have significant discriminant validity problems, in that much of the variance in its DIF facet reflects people's current levels of distress, rather than alexithymia. The TAS-20, which has traditionally been the most widely used alexithymia questionnaire, may therefore not be the optimal alexithymia tool. Our findings add to the body of evidence supporting the validity and utility of the PAQ and suggest that, moving forward, it is a superior option to the TAS-20 for alexithymia assessments.

Alexithymia profiles and depression, anxiety, and stress.

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia is a multidimensional trait comprised of difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties describing feelings, and externally orientated thinking. It is regarded as an important risk factor for emotional disorders, but there are presently limited data on each specific facet of alexithymia, or the extent to which deficits in processing negative emotions, positive emotions, or both, are important. In this study, we address these gaps by using the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) to comprehensively examine the relationships between alexithymia and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. METHODS: University students (N = 1250) completed the PAQ and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Pearson correlations, hierarchical regressions, and latent profile analysis were conducted. RESULTS: All facets of alexithymia, across both valence domains, were significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (r = 0.27-0.40). Regression analyses indicated that the alexithymia facets, together, could account for a significant 14.6 %-16.4 % of the variance in depression, anxiety, and stress. Difficulties identifying negative feelings and difficulties identifying positive feelings were the strongest unique predictors across all symptom categories. Our latent profile analysis extracted eight profiles, comprising different combinations of alexithymia facets and psychopathology symptoms, collectively highlighting the transdiagnostic relevance of alexithymia facets. LIMITATIONS: Our study involved a student sample, and further work in clinical samples will be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that all facets of alexithymia, across both valence domains, are relevant for understanding depression, anxiety, and stress. These findings demonstrate the value of facet-level and valence-specific alexithymia assessments, informing more comprehensive understanding and more targeted treatments of emotional disorder symptoms.

Attentional engagement with and disengagement from appearance ideals: Differential associations with body dissatisfaction frequency and duration?

Recent work has served to dissociate two dimensions of trait body dissatisfaction: body dissatisfaction frequency and body dissatisfaction duration. The present study sought to evaluate whether body dissatisfaction frequency and body dissatisfaction duration are each associated with distinct patterns of appearance-related cognitive processing. It was hypothesized that speeded attentional engagement with idealized bodies is associated with higher frequency of body dissatisfaction episodes, while slowed attentional disengagement from such information may instead be associated with higher duration of body dissatisfaction episodes. Participants (238 women, 149 men) completed an attentional task capable of independently assessing attentional engagement with, and attentional disengagement from, idealized bodies. Participants also completed both trait and in vivo (i.e., ecological momentary assessment) measures of body dissatisfaction frequency and duration. Results showed that neither engagement nor disengagement bias index scores predicted variance in either body dissatisfaction frequency measures or body dissatisfaction duration measures. Findings suggest that either biased attentional engagement with, and disengagement from, idealized bodies do not associate with the frequency and duration of body dissatisfaction episodes, or there are other key moderating factors involved in the expression of body dissatisfaction-linked attentional bias.

Cross-cultural adaptation and clinical application of the Perth Empathy Scale.

OBJECTIVE: Alterations of empathy have been observed in patients with various mental disorders. The Perth Empathy Scale (PES) was recently developed to measure a multidimensional construct of empathy across positive and negative emotions. However, its psychometric properties and clinical applications have not been examined in the Chinese context. METHODS: The Chinese version of the PES was developed and administered to a large Chinese sample (n = 1090). Factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent, discriminant, as well as concurrent validity were examined. Moreover, 50 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 50 healthy controls were recruited to explore the clinical utility of the PES. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses supported a theoretically congruent three-factor structure of empathy, namely Cognitive Empathy, Negative Affective Empathy and Positive Affective Empathy. The PES showed good to excellent internal consistency reliability, good convergent and discriminant validity, acceptable concurrent validity, and moderate to high test-retest reliability. Patients with MDD had significantly lower PES scores compared to healthy controls. Linear discriminant function comprised of the three factors correctly differentiated 71% of participants, which further verified the clinical utility of the PES. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that the Chinese version of the PES is a reliable and valid instrument to measure cognitive and affective empathy across negative and positive emotions, and could therefore be used in both research and clinical practice.

Development and evaluation of a predictive algorithm and telehealth intervention to reduce suicidal behavior among university students.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal behaviors are prevalent among college students; however, students remain reluctant to seek support. We developed a predictive algorithm to identify students at risk of suicidal behavior and used telehealth to reduce subsequent risk. METHODS: Data come from several waves of a prospective cohort study (2016-2022) of college students (n = 5454). All first-year students were invited to participate as volunteers. (Response rates range: 16.00-19.93%). A stepped-care approach was implemented: (i) all students received a comprehensive list of services; (ii) those reporting past 12-month suicidal ideation were directed to a safety planning application; (iii) those identified as high risk of suicidal behavior by the algorithm or reporting 12-month suicide attempt were contacted via telephone within 24-h of survey completion. Intervention focused on support/safety-planning, and referral to services for this high-risk group. RESULTS: 5454 students ranging in age from 17-36 (s.d. = 5.346) participated; 65% female. The algorithm identified 77% of students reporting subsequent suicidal behavior in the top 15% of predicted probabilities (Sensitivity = 26.26 [95% CI 17.93-36.07]; Specificity = 97.46 [95% CI 96.21-98.38], PPV = 53.06 [95% CI 40.16-65.56]; AUC range: 0.895 [95% CIs 0.872-0.917] to 0.966 [95% CIs 0.939-0.994]). High-risk students in the Intervention Cohort showed a 41.7% reduction in probability of suicidal behavior at 12-month follow-up compared to high-risk students in the Control Cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Predictive risk algorithms embedded into universal screening, coupled with telehealth intervention, offer significant potential as a suicide prevention approach for students.

The role of self-compassion in loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a group-based trajectory modelling approach.

Research has suggested an increase in loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, but much of this work has been cross-sectional, making causal inferences difficult. In the present research, we employed a longitudinal design to identify loneliness trajectories within a period of twelve months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium (N = 2106). We were particularly interested in the potential protective role of self-compassion in these temporal dynamics. Using a group-based trajectory modelling approach, we identified trajectory groups of individuals following low (11.0%), moderate-low (22.4%), moderate (25.7%), moderate-high (31.3%), and high (9.6%) levels of loneliness. Findings indicated that younger people, women, and individuals with poor quality relationships, high levels of health anxiety, and stress related to COVID-19, all had a higher probability of belonging to the highest loneliness trajectory groups. Importantly, we also found that people high in two of the three facets of self-compassion (self-kindness and common humanity) had a lower probability of belonging to the highest loneliness trajectory groups. Ultimately, we demonstrated that trajectory groups reflecting higher levels of loneliness were associated with lower life satisfaction and greater depressive symptoms. We discuss the possibility that increasing self-compassion may be used to promote better mental health in similarly challenging situations.

Assessing Emotion Regulation across Asian and Western Cultures: Psychometric Properties of Three Common Scales across Singaporean and Australian Samples.

Given the differences in emotion regulation across cultures, it is paramount to ensure that measures of emotion regulation measure the same construct and that conceptualizations of emotion regulation are valid across cultures. Therefore, the present study assessed the measurement invariance (alongside other psychometric properties) of three popular emotion regulation questionnaires, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI), across 434 Singaporeans and 489 Australians. Our study showed that all three questionnaires were measurement invariant, had excellent internal consistency, and relatively good concurrent validity with psychopathology and alexithymia across our Singaporean and Australian sample, justifying their use in comparing Asian and Western cultures. Our findings suggest that measures of emotion regulation have utility across both individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Our findings supports the use of these measures in cross-cultural research and provides support for the utility for personality assessments across cultures.

The Perth Empathy Scale: Psychometric Properties of the Polish Version and Its Mental Health Correlates.

The Perth Empathy Scale (PES) is a 20-item self-report questionnaire that assesses people's ability to recognize emotions in others (i.e., cognitive empathy) and vicariously experience other's emotions (i.e., affective empathy), across positive and negative emotions. Originally developed in English, the aim of our study was to introduce the first Polish version of the PES and test its psychometric performance. Our sample was 318 people (184 females, 134 males) with ages ranging from 18 to 77. The factor structure was verified with confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was tested in terms of internal consistency and test-retest reliability. To explore convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity, we examined relationships between the PES and measures of depression, anxiety, and emotional intelligence. It was shown that the scale was characterized by the intended four-factor solution, thus supporting factorial validity. The internal consistency reliability was also good and test-retest reliability was moderate. The convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity were strong. The clinical importance of assessing affective empathy across both positive and negative emotions was supported. Overall, our results therefore suggest that the Polish version of the PES has strong psychometric performance and clinical relevance as a measure of the multidimensional empathy construct.

Alexithymia as a risk factor for poor emotional outcomes in adults with acquired brain injury.

Emotional disorders are pervasive in the acquired brain injury (ABI) population, adversely affecting quality of life and rehabilitation. This study aimed to explore the unique associative effects of alexithymia as measured by the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ; i.e., difficulty identifying positive/negative feelings, difficulty describing positive/negative feelings, and externally orientated thinking), on emotional outcomes as measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI-4) Adjustment index, in 83 adults with ABI. The addition of alexithymia to hierarchical multiple regression models (controlling for demographic, injury-related, and functional outcome variables) yielded statistically significant changes in R2 for all emotional outcome measures (i.e., Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Adjustment). Difficulty identifying negative feelings was found to be a significant unique predictor of Depression (ß = .43 p = <.001), Anxiety (ß = .40, p <.001), Stress (ß = .49, p <.001), and Adjustment (ß = .26, p = .001). Externally oriented thinking was found to be a significant unique predictor of Adjustment (ß = -.15, p = .033). These findings strengthen the argument that alexithymia, especially difficulties identifying negative feelings, may be an important risk factor for psychological distress in ABI and should be considered during early rehabilitation.

The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (ERQ-S): A 6-item measure of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression.

BACKGROUND: Emotion regulation plays a crucial role in affective functioning. One of the most commonly used measures of emotion regulation is the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), a 10-item self-report measure assessing frequency of use of two common emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. In this study, we aimed to optimize the utility of the ERQ for time-pressured settings by introducing and validating a 6-item short form called the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (ERQ-S). METHOD: General community (N = 508) and college student (N = 245) samples from the United States completed online surveys containing a range of psychometric self-report measures. For each sample, we examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of the ERQ-S. RESULTS: Our confirmatory factor analyses supported the intended 2-factor structure of the ERQ-S (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression factors), with all items loading well on their intended factor in both samples. As expected, the ERQ-S correlated highly with the ERQ. A profile of low cognitive reappraisal use and high expressive suppression use on the ERQ-S was significantly associated with higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties, alexithymia, and affective symptoms. LIMITATIONS: We did not examine psychometric performance in a clinical sample, or other cultural groups outside the US. All concurrent validity markers were self-report questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the ERQ-S successfully retains the psychometric strengths of the ERQ. The shorter format of the ERQ-S should therefore help to optimize the measurement of emotion regulation in time-pressured settings.

Pathways from trauma to unusual perceptual experiences: Modelling the roles of insecure attachment, negative affect, emotion regulation and dissociation.

BACKGROUND: A range of traumas have been linked to voices (auditory verbal hallucinations) and unusual perceptual experiences (UPEs) in other perceptual-sensory domains. Models of PTSD and positive symptoms of psychosis are insufficient in explaining the relationship between trauma and voices. The trauma-related voices (TRV) model was developed to generate novel research in this area. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate pathways from trauma to the frequency of UPEs based on a subset of hypothesised relationships in the TRV model. MATERIALS: The PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5, State Adult Attachment Measure, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales-21, Perth Emotion and Regulation Competency Inventory, Dissociative Experiences Measure Oxford, and Multi-modality Unusual Perceptual Experiences Questionnaire. METHODS: We used path analysis in a non-clinical sample (N = 528) to model indirect effects from diverse trauma experiences to the frequency of multi-sensory UPEs via a subset of mediators within the TRV model: insecure attachment, emotion regulation deficits, negative affect and dissociation. RESULTS: Our model was an excellent fit to the data and accounted for 37.1% of variance in UPE frequency, and all direct (ßs = .14-.61) and indirect pathways (ßs = .01-.08) were significant (ps < .001). DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that insecure attachment may link diverse trauma experiences to emotion regulation deficits and negative affect, which are linked to UPE frequency via dissociation. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide preliminary evidence for a subset of relationships within the TRV model. Future studies are needed to gather stronger evidence of temporality and causation between these factors, and to test broader pathways within the TRV model.

Assessing Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Online-Sampled Autistic and Non-autistic Individuals: Factor Structure of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A).

The Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A) measures two factors of restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs) associated with autism. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides four criteria for RRBs: repetitive motor behaviours, insistence on sameness, restricted interests, and interest in sensory aspects of the environment (or atypical sensitivity). The current paper aimed to examine whether the RBQ-2A is a psychometrically sound measure of these four factors. Study 1 had university students (N = 368) complete the RBQ-2A and other related measures online and revealed that the RBQ-2A can assess the factors highlighted in the DSM-5 and that these four factors comprise a general RRB construct. Study 2 had individuals disclosing a diagnosis of autism (N = 283) complete the RBQ-2A and other related measures online and supported that this four-factor structure provided good psychometric properties. While the current paper provides findings for an online autistic population, further research is needed to generalize these findings to autistic individuals less likely to partake in online studies (e.g., those with intellectual or language disabilities). Overall, the results suggest that the RBQ-2A reliably and validly assesses RRBs.

The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire-Short Form (PAQ-S): A 6-item measure of alexithymia.

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia is a trait characterized by difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties describing feelings, and externally orientated thinking. It is widely regarded as an important transdiagnostic risk factor for a range of psychopathologies, including depressive and anxiety disorders. Whilst several well-validated psychometric measures of alexithymia exist, these are relatively lengthy, thus limiting their utility in time-pressured settings. In this paper, we address this gap by introducing and validating a brief 6-item version of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire, called the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire-Short Form (PAQ-S). METHOD: Across two studies with adult samples (Study 1 N = 508 United States community; Study 2 = 378 Australian college students), we examined the psychometric properties of the PAQ-S in terms of its factor structure, reliability, and concurrent/criterion validity. RESULTS: In exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, all PAQ-S items loaded well on a single general alexithymia factor. The PAQ-S total score had high reliability, and correlated as expected with the long-form of the PAQ, as well as other established markers of alexithymia, emotion regulation, and affective disorder symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Our samples were general community or college student samples from two Western countries; future validation work in clinical samples and more diverse cultural groups is thus needed. CONCLUSIONS: The PAQ-S retains the psychometric strengths of the PAQ. As such, the PAQ-S can be used as a quick, robust measure of overall alexithymia levels. The introduction of the PAQ-S hence enables valid assessments of alexithymia in a more diverse range of settings and research designs.

Alexithymia and emotion regulation.

BACKGROUND: Alexithymia is a key transdiagnostic risk factor for emotion-based psychopathologies. Conceptual models specify that this is because alexithymia impairs emotion regulation. However, the extent of these putative emotion regulation impairments remains underexplored. Our aim in this study was to begin to address this gap by examining whether people with high, average, or low levels of alexithymia differ in the types of emotion regulation strategies they typically use. METHOD: General community adults from the United States (N = 501) completed a battery of alexithymia and emotion regulation measures. Participants were grouped into high, average, and low alexithymia quantiles. RESULTS: After controlling for demographics and current levels of distress, the high, average, and low alexithymia groups differed in their use of cognitive and behavioral emotion regulation strategies. Compared to the other groups, the high alexithymia group reported lesser use of generally adaptive regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, approaching problems, and seeking social support) and greater use of generally maladaptive regulation strategies (expressive suppression, behavioral withdrawal, ignoring). LIMITATIONS: Our data were cross-sectional and from self-report questionnaires. Future work in other cultural groups would be beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the view that alexithymia is associated with impaired emotion regulation. In particular, people with high alexithymia seem to exhibit a less adaptive profile of emotion regulation strategies. Direct targeting of these emotion regulation patterns in psychotherapy may therefore be a useful pathway for the treatment of emotional disorder symptoms in people with high alexithymia.

Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety: The role of beliefs about emotions.

BACKGROUND: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a dimensional trait fundamental to most psychopathologies, and anxiety disorders in particular, making it an important transdiagnostic construct for researchers and clinicians. Current psychological therapies focus on changing underlying cognitive assumptions related to uncertainty. However, we posit that IU conveys beliefs about emotions too. In line with established findings on beliefs about emotions in general, we tested the hypothesis that the relationship between IU and anxiety is mediated by beliefs about the controllability and/or usefulness of emotions. METHODS: Participants (N = 2260) were administered the Emotions Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ); the General Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS - 12). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the EBQ was conducted followed by Pearson correlation coefficients among the central measures, and a parallel mediation analysis to address the central research question. RESULTS: Our CFA supported the intended factor structure of the EBQ. The results of our mediation analysis supported the prediction that the association between IU and anxiety is partially mediated by general beliefs about emotions. LIMITATIONS: Although our sample size was large, the age range was limited so future research could expand the age range to maximise generalizability. This is a cross-sectional study so causal inferences are restricted. CONCLUSION: Given the present findings, current interventions for IU and their focus on beliefs about uncertainty, might benefit from incorporating strategies to improve beliefs about emotions, and thus improve therapeutic effectiveness.

Parents' emotion suppression exacerbates the effect of COVID-19 stress on youth internalizing symptomatology.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in heightened stress for families in the United States, and exposure to pandemic-related stress has been found to confer risk for mental health problems among both children and parents. To isolate risk and protective factors for children living through the ongoing pandemic, several studies have begun to examine family-level factors that may exacerbate or buffer the impact of exposure to COVID-19-related stress on children's symptomatology. Building upon the extant literature documenting associations between parents' emotion regulation and children's mental health, especially during times of stress, the present study aimed to examine parents' regulation of their own emotions as a potential moderator of the association between children's exposure to family-level COVID-19-related stress and internalizing and externalizing problems. Results suggest that parents' regulation of their own emotions using expressive suppression, specifically, may exacerbate the effect of exposure to pandemic-related stress on children's internalizing problems, but not externalizing problems. Results highlight the importance of prioritizing parents' mental health and self-regulation in prevention and intervention efforts aimed at improving family-wide mental health outcomes during public health crises that place family systems under significant stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Psychometric Assessment of Empathy: Development and Validation of the Perth Empathy Scale.

Empathy, the ability to infer and share others' affective states, plays a vital role in social interactions. However, no existing scale comprehensively assesses empathy's cognitive and affective components across positive and negative emotional valence domains. This article explores the latent structure of the empathy construct and attempts to remedy past measurement limitations by developing and validating a new 20-item self-report measure, the Perth Empathy Scale (PES). In Study 1 (N = 316), factor analyses revealed a coherent empathy construct comprised of cognitive and valence-specific affective components. Study 2 (N = 331) replicated this factor structure, showed measurement invariance between males and females, and highlighted the importance of assessing negative and positive emotions in empathy. The PES showed convergent and discriminant validity from comparisons with alexithymia and other empathy measures. Overall, this article empirically establishes a conceptually clear structure of the multidimensional empathy construct, which the PES reliably and validly measures.