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Emotion Regulation and Anxiety Disorders

  • ANXIETY DISORDERS (DJ STEIN, SECTION EDITOR)
  • Published:
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Abstract

A growing body of research suggests that the construct of emotion regulation is important for understanding the onset, maintenance, and treatment of anxiety disorders. In this review, we provide a selective overview of this emerging field and highlight the major sources of evidence. First, evidence suggests that the construct of emotion regulation can be differentiated from the construct of emotion. Second, there is a large and consistent body of research demonstrating that emotion regulation strategies can modulate emotional responding, and this finding is observed in both behavioral and neuroimaging studies. Third, measures of emotion regulation explain incremental variance in measures of anxiety disorder symptoms not accounted for by measures of negative affect. Although the research implicating emotion regulation in the anxiety disorders is promising, future research will be necessary to further clarify causal mechanisms explaining how emotion regulation confers vulnerability for anxiety disorders and to improve the clarity and consistency of definitions of emotion regulation.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Cisler has received grant support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (nos. RO1DA019999, R21DA025243, and T32DA022981) and the National Center for Research Resources (no. UL1RR029884).

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No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham #554, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA

    Josh M. Cisler & Bunmi O. Olatunji

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  1. Josh M. Cisler
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  2. Bunmi O. Olatunji
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Correspondence to Josh M. Cisler.

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Cisler, J.M., Olatunji, B.O. Emotion Regulation and Anxiety Disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep 14, 182–187 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-012-0262-2

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