STRESS

Original Articles

Effect of Emotional Regulation Strategies on Psychological Distress in Obsessive-Compulsive Tendency: Woo-Jin Cha, Myoung-Ho Hyun; STRESS. 2024;32(2):104-110. Published online June 28, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17547/kjsr.2024.32.2.104

Abstract PDF: Background
This study examined the effects of emotion regulation strategies on psychological distress in individuals with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
Methods
A total of 339 adults completed online and offline surveys administered to determine the level of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Among them, 56 were categorized into the obsessive-compulsive tendency group and randomly assigned to the reappraisal, acceptance, and suppression groups, where each participated in emotion regulation strategy training. Their psychological distress was assessed before and after the training.
Results
The results of the repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the main effects of neither group nor time were significant, but the interaction between group and time was significant. The acceptance group showed a significant decrease in psychological distress post-training, whereas the suppression group showed a significant increase. The reappraisal group showed no significant changes in psychological distress before and after the training.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that the acceptance strategy was especially effective and adaptive in reducing psychological distress. These findings expand our understanding of emotion regulation strategies and have therapeutic implications. Finally, the implications and limitations of this study are discussed, presenting directions for future research.

Effects of Expressive Writing through Self-Distancing on Emotion and Pain Outcomes in Individuals Who Use Emotional Suppression: Soojin Lee, Sungkun Cho; STRESS. 2022;30(3):129-138. Published online September 30, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17547/kjsr.2022.30.3.129

Abstract PDF: Background
Emotions are closely related to pain outcomes, and maladaptive emotional regulation strategies such as suppression can exacerbate pain. The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the effects of expressive writing on emotions and pain outcomes of individuals who use emotional suppression.
Methods
Forty university students with an emotional suppression scale score of more than one standard deviation participated in this study. There were 20 students in the expressive writing group and 20 students in the control group. For the expressive writing group, emotions (negative emotions and state anxiety) and pain experiences (threshold, tolerance, intensity, and pupil diameter measured during cold pressure tasks) were assessed before and after a writing intervention.
Results
The expressive writing group had lower post-negative affect than pre-negative affect and lower post-state anxiety than the control group. However, there were no significant differences between groups in pain outcomes and self-distancing.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that expressive writing can help individuals express and experience negative emotions and anxiety more healthily.

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