THE ROLE OF EMOTIONAL DYSREGULATION AND MENTALIZATION IN MEDIATING THE LINK BETWEEN CHILDHOOD EMOTIONAL ABUSE AND ADULT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

Two mediators of the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and adult depressive symptoms were explored: emotional dysregulation and mentalization (reflective functioning). N = 347 undergraduates at a diverse public university in California responded to self-report measures examining emotional dysregulation, hyper- and hypomentalization, current depressive symptoms, and childhood abuse experiences. Emotional dysregulation was supported as a mediator, but hyper- and hypomentalization were not significant in the final analysis. The results of this study may be useful in spurring further examinations of mentalization impairment following childhood abuse and the role of emotional regulation in treatments for symptoms of depression following childhood abuse.