08-10-2019
A Structural Examination of Negative Emotion Vulnerability
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment | Uitgave 1/2020
Log in om toegang te krijgenAbstract
This study examined negative emotion vulnerability and its relationship to borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression, and anxiety symptoms. Emotion vulnerability has been described as a biological risk factor for BPD consisting of three components: heightened baseline emotional arousal, intense emotional reactivity to negative stimuli, and a slow return to baseline (Linehan 1993). However, few studies have fully examined negative emotion vulnerability as a three-factor construct. In addition, because there is reason to believe that BPD shares a common vulnerability factor with comorbid disorders, such as depression and anxiety, we also examined if heightened negative emotion vulnerability was related to those symptoms as well. A sample of 307 participants completed two mood induction tasks to assess all components of emotion vulnerability. Self-report questionnaires were also completed. Results confirmed a three-factor model of negative emotion vulnerability, with two factors, heightened baseline arousal and slow return to baseline emotion, uniquely predicting all symptoms. This study provides evidence for a trandiagnostic conceptualization of negative emotion vulnerability as descrbed by Linehan (1993).