Predicting Intraindividual Change in Satisfaction with Life During COVID-19: A Prospective Study of Swiss Older Adults with Differing Levels of Childhood Adversity.

Objectives This study examined intraindividual change in satisfaction with life (SWL) in Swiss older adults before, during, and after COVID-19. It assessed whether predictors of adaptation influenced SWL stability, and whether this differed depending on adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Methods SWL was assessed eight times over a 21-month period. ACE, emotion regulation, meaning in life, and subjective socio-economic status (SES) were assessed as predictors. Data were analyzed using growth curve modeling. Results The sample consisted of two groups: A risk group (RG: n = 111, M age = 69.4 years) comprised of individuals with a high risk of having been exposed to ACE, and a (low-risk) control group (CG: n = 120, M age = 70.3 years). Intraindividual change in SWL was predicted by (presence of) meaning in life only in the RG, and by subjective SES only in the CG. Conclusion Results identified predictors of stable SWL trajectories and the potential for positive psychological functioning into later life, despite past and current prolonged adversity. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-024-00791-2.

[Psychotherapy for elderly patients]. / Psychische Störungen im Alter und ihre psychotherapeutische Behandlung.

A particular feature of the demographic change is the growing proportion of elderly and very elderly people. In Western countries, this is largely due to improved medical care for age-associated diseases. There is still comparatively little knowledge about mental health disorders in old age, their age-typical clinical presentation and specific psychotherapeutic treatment.

A cascade model of complex posttraumatic stress disorder centered on childhood trauma and maltreatment, attachment, and socio-interpersonal factors.

The present study proposes and tests a cascade model of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) focusing on childhood trauma and maltreatment, attachment, and socio-interpersonal factors. Multigroup path analysis was used to examine data from 126 individuals formerly affected by compulsory social measures and placements (CSMP) in their childhood and/or adolescence (i.e., risk group [RG]; M age = 70.8 years) and an age-matched control group (CG; n = 125; M age = 70.6 years). The final model confirmed the cascade structure, with stronger associations emerging in the RG. Childhood trauma and maltreatment were associated with attachment anxiety, ß = |.20|-.30, which was related to all socio-interpersonal factors (i.e., disclosure of trauma, social acknowledgment, and social support), ß = .27-|.54|; the latter were associated with substantial aspects of the CPTSD symptoms as well as life satisfaction, ß = |.21|-.42. Among participants in the CG, we observed more direct, rather than mediated, paths to CPTSD symptoms. Adulthood trauma exposure did not follow the full cascade pattern but was associated with the socio-interpersonal factors. Nevertheless, more in-depth clinical knowledge of CPTSD and potential targets for psychological treatment may be gained from the confirmation of this newly proposed cascade model of CPTSD.

An exploratory comparison of resilience profiles of Swiss older adult survivors of child welfare-related maltreatment and controls.

Child welfare practices in the last century have been linked to a high risk for child maltreatment and the subsequent development of mental ill-health. However, not all affected individuals develop clinically relevant psychopathology, which can be considered as a form of resilience. Such resilience is insufficiently understood in survivors of an advanced age. Therefore, this exploratory study aimed to depict a resilience profile of Swiss older adult survivors of child welfare-related maltreatment (n = 132; Mage = 71 years) and to contrast it with age-matched controls (n = 125). Approximately 30% of survivors did not meet the diagnostic criteria for any of the assessed current or lifetime DSM-5 disorders. These survivors were older, experienced less physical abuse, and had higher trait resilience, self-esteem, income, and satisfaction with their socio-economic status. They had lower levels of neuroticism and some empathy characteristics. Group differences in the resilience profiles suggest that resilience-related aspects may vary as a function of past adversity.

Steeling in Later Life: Exploring Age-Specific Effects of Varying Levels of Stress on Psychological Resilience.

The steeling effect suggests that "optimal" stress positively affects well-being by enhancing resilience. However, there is lack of longitudinal investigations in diverse age groups. The aim was to explore steeling in later life and potential predictors. The sample consisted of N = 195 participants. A 1-year longitudinal survey study was conducted. Sociodemographics, experienced stress, resilience resources, and satisfaction with life were assessed. Latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles that differ in the change of resilience resources over time and to examine differences between the profiles across the other study variables. Three profiles emerged: decreased resources (Decrease), stability of resources (Maintenance), and increased resources (Increase). "Decrease" was characterized by low, Maintenance by moderate, and Increase by high stress. Age influenced profile membership. While the results failed to support the classic steeling effect, with high stress associated with increased resilience resources, optimal stress was associated with the maintenance of resilience resources.

Psychological characteristics and stress differentiate between high from low health trajectories in later life: a machine learning analysis.

Objective: This study set out to empirically identify joint health trajectories in individuals of advanced age. Predictors of subgroup allocation were investigated to identify the impact of psychological characteristics, stress, and socio-demographic variables on more favorable aging trajectories.Method: The sample consisted of N = 334 older adults (MAGE=68.31 years; SD = 9.71). Clustered health trajectories were identified using a longitudinal variant of k-means and were based on health and satisfaction with life. Random forests with conditional interference were computed to examine predictive capabilities. Key predictors included psychological resilience resources, exposure to childhood adversities, and chronic stress. Data was collected via a survey, at two different time points one year apart.Results: Two different clustered health trajectories were identified: A 'constant high health' (low number of health-related symptoms, 65.6%) and a 'maintaining low health' profile (high number of symptoms, 34.4%). Over the one-year study period, both symptom profiles remained stable. Random forest analyses showed chronic stress to be the most important predictor in the interaction with other risk and also buffering factors.Conclusion: This study provides empirical evidence for two stable health trajectories in later life over one year. These results highlight the importance of chronic stress, but also psychological resilience resources in predicting aging trajectories.

The curvilinear relationship of early-life adversity and successful aging: the mediating role of mental health.

OBJECTIVES: The steeling effect suggests that early-life adversity can have a beneficial impact later in life. However, little is known about its underlying mechanisms and long-term outcomes . The study aimed to examine the role of early-life adversity (ELA) on successful aging, and whether this relationship can be explained by mental and physical health. METHOD: Socio-demographics, early-life adversity (ELA), individual quality of life (iQoL), and mental and physical health of 270 individuals (Mage = 66.82 years, 71.5% female) were assessed. Polynomial regressions and mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Significant inverse U-shaped associations were found between ELA and iQoL (ß = -.59, p = .005) and between ELA and mental health (ß = -.64, p = .002), but not between ELA and physical health. Furthermore, mental health significantly mediated the relationship between ELA and iQoL (b = -.84, BCa CI [-1.66, -.27]). CONCLUSION: Highest level of individual quality of life (i.e. successful aging) was related to a moderate amount of ELA. Additionally, mental health significantly mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that some amount of ELA could be beneficial for successful aging. Resource-focused interventions are needed to improve health and promote successful aging for an underdetected, at-risk subgroup with low early-life adversity.

Childhood Adversities and Thriving Skills: Sample Case of Older Swiss Former Indentured Child Laborers.

OBJECTIVE: The study of life-long consequences of severe childhood adversities or trauma has recently received much attention. However, little is known about the subjective coping success and development of positively evaluated resources that may originate within these adverse experiences and may be conceptualized as thriving. This study set out to examine the relationship between thriving in response to early adversity and successful aging with a sample of former indentured child laborers in Switzerland (Verdingkinder). METHODS: Participants were screened according to subjective and objective health-related attributes, and those who were evaluated to be "successful agers" were included. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 former Verdingkinder (mean age: 71 years) that lasted 60-120 minutes. The interviews were analyzed using the paradigm model of the Grounded Theory. RESULTS: In the interviews adverse experiences and negative consequences were reported. However, where thriving was triggered in response to these experiences, the factors identified as "lightheartedness," "social purpose," and "self-enhancement" were associated with successful aging. Factors including motivation, reflection, personality traits, social support, individual coping strategies, turning points, and processing were reported as central to thriving. CONCLUSION: The identified factors show similarities with established predictors of health and well-being. Thus, under certain circumstances early and prolonged adverse experiences can also provide the opportunity to develop positive resources for successful aging.

Preliminary evidence for an increased likelihood of a stable trajectory in mild cognitive impairment in individuals with higher motivational abilities.

BACKGROUND: Motivational abilities (MA), that describe skills in relation to goal-oriented behavior, have recently been found to be associated with neuropathological aging. Here we examine the impact of MA on the long-term course of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: We followed-up N = 64 individuals diagnosed with MCI (Mage = 73 years, 44% female) for 3 years. MA were assessed by long-term informants of the participants using two scales: motivation and decision regulation [Volitional Components Questionnaires, VCQ, (Kuhl and Fuhrmann, Decomposing self-regulation and self-control: the volitional components inventory, 1998)]. Cognitive abilities were assessed with the Mini Mental State Examination (J Psychiatr Res 12:189-98, 1975). Survival analyses and multilevel modeling (MLM) were applied to determine the predicting effect of informant-rated MA at baseline on the likelihood of MCI stability and on the trajectory of cognitive abilities. RESULTS: Fifty percent (n = 32) of the MCI participants remained stable, while 32.8% (n = 21) and 17.2% (n = 11) converted to Alzheimer's disease (AD) or dropped-out, respectively. Survival analyses revealed that MCI cases with higher-rated MA at baseline were more likely to exert a stable course in MCI over 3 years (p = 0.036) when controlling for demographic characteristics and executive function. MLM analyses indicated that higher informant-rated MA at baseline were significantly related to higher cognitive abilities, even when controlling for MCI subtype (p = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary longitudinal evidence for a lower risk of conversion to AD and higher cognitive abilities by higher rated MA at an early stage of MCI.

Evaluation of the revised Sense of Coherence scale in a sample of older adults: A means to assess resilience aspects.

OBJECTIVES: The present study evaluated the revised Sense of Coherence (SOC-R) scale in a sample of older adults, using an extended range of psychological concepts. It further examined the psychometric properties of the revised scale and tested the theoretical assumptions underpinning the SOC-R concept. METHOD: The SOC-R scale was evaluated in 268 Swiss older adults (mean age = 66.9 years), including n = 15 heavily traumatized former indentured child labourers. Standardised questionnaires collected information on positive and negative life experiences, resources, current health, and well-being.  Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated good model fit for a second-order three-factor model of SOC-R with the factors manageability, balance, and reflection. Satisfactory convergent and discriminant correlations were shown with related psychological concepts, including neuroticism (r = -.32, p < .01), optimism (r = .31, p < .01), and general self-efficacy (r = .49, p < .01). SOC-R was not observed to differ by age group. Moderation analyses indicated that SOC-R moderated the relationship between certain early-life adversities and mental health. CONCLUSION: The study provides support for the psychometric properties and theoretical assumptions of SOC-R and suggests that SOC-R is a valid and reliable measure suitable for use with older adults. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs to examine the stability of SOC-R.

Stronger hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis habituation predicts lesser sensitization of inflammatory response to repeated acute stress exposures in healthy young adults.

Effective adjustment of the stress systems to repeated stress is regarded as an adaptive response of the organism facing environmental threats. Given the intertwined relationship between the stress systems and the inflammatory system, it could be expected that inflammatory processes should adapt to repeated stress as well. However, only little is known about adaptational processes of the different components of the immune system in response to repeated stress, and how these might be related to adaptational processes of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We here examined N=22 healthy participants (mean age 23years, 50% female) and exposed them to a standardized laboratory stressor twice, 24h apart. Plasma interleukin 6 (IL-6), salivary cortisol and psychometric parameters were assessed repeatedly up to 120min post stress. Results revealed a significant day by time interaction for cortisol (F=5.06; p=0.013) and IL-6 (F=4.42; p=0.041), indicating habituation of HPA axis and sensitization of inflammatory stress responses. Cortisol habituation and inflammatory sensitization were inversely related when controlling for sex (r=-0.44; p=0.044). Explorative analyses revealed significant associations between the IL-6 response on the second exposure with perceived stress (r=0.58; p=0.004), vital exhaustion (r=0.57; p=0.009), depression (r=0.47; p=0.026) and purpose in life (r=-0.50; p=0.04). These findings may help to increase understanding of the still only rudimentary understood interplay of adaptational processes of endocrine and immune responses to repeated stress and might indicate a link between inflammatory disinhibition and psychological indicators of well-being.

Increased alpha-amylase response to an acute psychosocial stress challenge in healthy adults with childhood adversity.

Childhood adversity is highly prevalent and linked to lasting psychological and physiological consequences. A potential mechanism for negative health outcomes is altered stress reactivity. While previous research has addressed associations of childhood adversity with stress system reactivity, sympathetic nervous system (SNS) stress reactivity is understudied. We therefore set out here to examining salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) reactivity in relation with childhood adversity. Forty-one healthy adult subjects (n = 24 male; n = 17 female) aged 18-34 years underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Saliva for measurement of sAA was collected at three time points; before the TSST, immediately after, and 10 min post-TSST. We found that those with childhood trauma had a higher overall sAA response to the TSST, as seen in a repeated measures ANOVA (CTQ by time interaction: F(1.8,71.5) = 6.46, p = .01) and an independent samples t-test indicating higher sAA baseline to peak response (t = 3.22, p = .003). There was also a positive correlation between sAA reactivity and the CTQ subscales of childhood physical abuse (r = .46, p = .005) and emotional abuse (r = .37, p = .024). Healthy adults with low-to-moderate childhood adversity had a heightened sAA response immediately following the stressor. Higher SNS reactivity could be a link to negative health outcomes in adults with early adversity. Future research should address whether altered sAA reactivity is predictive of negative health outcomes in those with childhood adversity.

Pre-treatment anxiety in a dental hygiene recall population: a cross-sectional pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Increased levels of anxiety may affect a patient's receptiveness to treatment, health care information and behaviour modification. This study was undertaken to assess pre-treatment anxiety in a dental hygiene recall population maintaining a schedule of regular preventive care appointments. METHODS: The sample population consisted of 46 consecutive adult recall patients waiting for their regularly scheduled dental hygiene appointment. Pre-treatment state (current) anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI), State form; dental anxiety with the Hierarchical Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ); subjective stress using a visual analogue scale (VAS); and mood/alertness/calmness using the Multidimensional Mood Questionnaire (MDMQ). RESULTS: Two distinct groups, based on state anxiety scores, were formed; one displaying increased levels of pre-treatment anxiety (n = 14), the other low anxiety (n = 32). The HA group was characterized by significantly higher dental anxiety and subjective stress levels prior to treatment; as well as worse mood, lower alertness, and less calmness in the dental office setting. There was no correlation between anxiety level and years in dental hygiene recall. CONCLUSIONS: A high level of pre-treatment anxiety was present in about one third of the sample population. The prevalence of this anxiety demonstrates the need for both early recognition and patient management strategies (psychological and pain management) to positively influence their treatment experience.

Response and habituation of pro- and anti-inflammatory gene expression to repeated acute stress.

INTRODUCTION: Acute stress induces increases in plasma inflammatory mediators, which do not habituate to repeated stress. Inflammation is a risk factor for age-related illnesses, highlighting the need to understand factors controlling inflammation. No studies have examined changes in pro- and anti-inflammatory gene expression in response to repeated acute stress in humans. METHODS: RNA was isolated from peripheral blood before, 30 and 120min after exposure of n=32 healthy human participants to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on two days. Gene expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, nuclear factor (NF)-κB and IκB was measured repeatedly on both days. We further assessed leukocyte numbers, plasma IL-6, and salivary cortisol. RESULTS: Stress induced IL-6 (F=44.7; p<0.001) and cortisol responses (F=18.6; p<0.001). Cortisol responses habituated (F=5.1, p=0.003), but IL-6 responses did not (n.s.). All genes increased in response to initial stress (IL-6: F=3.8; p=0.029; IL-1ß: F=7.1; p=0.008; NF-κB: F=5.1; p=0.009; IκB: F=4.7; p=0.013) and showed habituation to repeated stress (IL-6: t=2.3; p=0.03; IL-1ß: t=3.9; p=0.001; NF-κB: t=2.1; p=0.041; IκB: t=3.1; p=0.005). Day 1 responses of IL-1ß and IκB were not explained by changes in leukocyte populations, but IL-6 and NF-κB, as well as most day 2 changes were not independent of leukocyte populations. CONCLUSIONS: Stress response and habituation of pro- and anti-inflammatory gene expression as found here might indicate that even on an intracellular level, inflammatory responses to acute stress are adaptive in that they respond to initial, but habituate to repeated, similar stress. Future studies will need to test whether non-habituation is predictive of disease.

Effects of Music Listening on Pre-treatment Anxiety and Stress Levels in a Dental Hygiene Recall Population.

BACKGROUND: Waiting for a medical procedure can exert significant feelings of state anxiety in patients. Music listening has been shown to be effective in decreasing anxiety levels. No study so far examined the potential anxiety and stress-reducing effect of a music intervention on pre-treatment anxiety and stress in patients waiting for dental hygiene treatment. Knowing whether the anxiety-reducing effect of music would also be detectible in the context of preventive routine medical procedures in healthy individuals would widen the area of application of music from the hospital or clinical environment to medical offices in general. PURPOSE: Waiting for a medical treatment can induce anxiety and may lead to the experience of stress. We set out to examine the effect of music on pre-treatment anxiety in a healthy patient sample waiting for a dental treatment. METHODS: In a randomized controlled clinical trial, 92 consecutive volunteer patients (mean age, 57 years) waiting for their scheduled dental hygiene treatment were randomly allocated to either an experimental (n = 46, listening to music for 10 min) or a control group (n = 46, waiting in silence). State and habitual anxiety, subjective stress, and mood measures were assessed before and after music listening or silence, respectively. RESULTS: State anxiety levels in the music group decreased significantly after intervention as compared to the control group (F(1/90) = 8.06; p = 0.006). Participants' trait anxiety and dental anxiety were not found to moderate this effect. CONCLUSIONS: Listening to music prior to dental hygiene treatment decreases anxiety levels to a greater extent than waiting in silence.

Self-compassion as a predictor of interleukin-6 response to acute psychosocial stress.

We examined the hypothesis that self-compassion is associated with lower levels of stress-induced inflammation. On two consecutive days, plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assessed at baseline and at 30 and 120 min following exposure to a standardized laboratory stressor in a sample of 41 healthy young adults. Participants who were higher in self-compassion exhibited significantly lower day 1 IL-6 responses, even when controlling for self-esteem, depressive symptoms, demographic factors, and distress. Self-compassion was not related to day 2 IL-6 response but was inversely related to day 2 baseline IL-6 levels, and to increase in baseline IL-6 from day 1 to day 2. These findings suggest that self-compassion may serve as a protective factor against stress-induced inflammation and inflammation-related disease.

Measures of adiposity predict interleukin-6 responses to repeated psychosocial stress.

OBJECTIVE: Overweight and obese individuals, who comprise approximately two-thirds of the U.S. population, are at increased risk for developing a range of diseases. This increased risk may be due in part to maladaptive stress responses within this group, including heightened low-grade inflammation and HPA axis non-habituation. In this study we tested the relationship between adiposity, plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and HPA axis responses to repeated stress. METHODS: Sixty-seven healthy participants were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on two consecutive days. We collected saliva for cortisol measurements at baseline and at 1, 10, 30, 60 and 120min post-TSST, and blood for plasma IL-6 measurements at baseline and 30 and 120min post-TSST. RESULTS: Stress exposure induced significant increases of cortisol and IL-6 on both days (cortisol: F=38, p<0.001; IL-6: F=90.8; p<0.001), and repeated exposure was related with cortisol habituation (F=8.2; p<0.001) and IL-6 sensitization (F=5.2; p=0.022). BMI and body fat were related with higher cortisol responses to repeated stress (BMI: beta=0.34; p=0.014; body fat: beta=0.29; p=0.045), and with higher IL-6 responses to repeated stress (BMI: beta=0.27, p=0.044; body fat: beta=0.37; p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, individuals with higher measures of adiposity showed less efficient HPA axis habituation as well as sensitization of IL-6 responses to repeated acute stress. These findings point to maladaptive stress response patterns in overweight humans, which, through exposure to higher levels of inflammatory mediators, might partially explain diseases related with overweight and/or obesity.

Predictors and (in-)stability of ICD-11 complex posttraumatic stress disorder in older adults: findings from a longitudinal study in Switzerland.

Objective: There is a lack of research on complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in older individuals, with little known about the temporal course of CPTSD. Therefore, this study assessed and compared the demographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences (ACE), and well-being of Swiss older adults with and without probable CPTSD. The (in-)stability of probable CPTSD was also examined in relation to the predictive value of various emotion-related factors.Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted in Switzerland with N = 213 participants (Mage = 69.98 years, SD = 10.61; 45.5% female). Data was collected via face-to-face assessments at baseline and follow-up, 21 months apart. The German version of the International Trauma Questionnaire was used to screen for (C)PTSD. Standardized instruments were used to assess ACE as well as the predictors anger, embitterment, emotion regulation, and meaning in life.Results: From the total sample, n = 16 participants (7.5%) were identified as having probable CPTSD, with only five of these (31.25%) having probable CPTSD at both baseline and follow-up. Individuals with and without probable CPTSD differed significantly regarding age and employment status. Significant predictors of probable CPTSD were anger (ß = 0.16), embitterment (ß = 0.06), cognitive reappraisal (ß = -0.41), and the presence of meaning in life (ß = -0.10).Conclusions: Probable CPTSD appears to be relatively unstable over the course of a 21-month period in older individuals. The links between CPTSD and emotion-related predictors highlight potential targets for intervention.

KEY FINDINGS: Older adults with and without probable CPTSD differ in terms of age, employment status, adverse childhood experiences, psychiatric comorbidities, well-being, and life satisfaction.Temporal (in-)stability: In older adults, probable CPTSD appears to be unstable over a 21-month period with around one-third of the participants showing a stable course.Treatment targets: The identified significant predictors anger, embitterment, cognitive reappraisal, and the presence of meaning in life beliefs are potential treatment targets.

Differential Pathways from Child Maltreatment Types to Insecure Adult Attachment Styles via Psychological and Social Resources: A Bayesian Network Analysis.

Child maltreatment has been linked to insecure adult attachment. However, it is not yet clear how different child maltreatment types are associated with attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood; and whether resilience against these insecure attachment styles is dependent on risk-specific resources. Therefore, this study explored differential pathways from child maltreatment types to attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood and examined whether psychological resources (self-esteem) and social resources (perceived social support) show risk-specific effects. An online survey retrospectively assessed experiences of child maltreatment, the level of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood, self-esteem, and perceived social support in N = 604 former members of fundamentalist Christian faith communities (mean age = 41.27 years, SD = 12.50; 65.90% female). Cross-sectional data was analyzed using Bayesian network analysis. Only emotional child maltreatment showed direct relationships to insecure adult attachment. Specifically, emotional abuse and emotional neglect were associated with anxious and avoidant adult attachment, respectively. The effects of other child abuse types on adult attachment were mediated through emotional abuse, which indicated patterns of complex traumatization. Self-esteem mediated the effect of emotional abuse on anxious attachment, while perceived social support mediated the effect of emotional neglect on avoidant attachment. Social support was also linked to self-esteem and was therefore also important for individuals with experiences of emotional abuse. This study showed that child maltreatment types and their interactions are meaningfully linked to attachment-related anxiety and avoidance in adulthood. Interventions for survivors of child maltreatment should focus on risk-specific resources to support their resilience.

Emotion regulation through listening to music in everyday situations.

Music is a stimulus capable of triggering an array of basic and complex emotions. We investigated whether and how individuals employ music to induce specific emotional states in everyday situations for the purpose of emotion regulation. Furthermore, we wanted to examine whether specific emotion-regulation styles influence music selection in specific situations. Participants indicated how likely it would be that they would want to listen to various pieces of music (which are known to elicit specific emotions) in various emotional situations. Data analyses by means of non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed a clear preference for pieces of music that were emotionally congruent with an emotional situation. In addition, we found that specific emotion-regulation styles might influence the selection of pieces of music characterised by specific emotions. Our findings demonstrate emotion-congruent music selection and highlight the important role of specific emotion-regulation styles in the selection of music in everyday situations.