Stressful life events and hopelessness in adults: the mediating role of mentalization and emotional dysregulation

Parada-Fernández, Pamela; Herrero-Fernández, David; Oliva-Macías, Mireia; Rohwer, Heidi

doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1061

Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Brasil

Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry

Español English

Brasil

Español English

sumário « anterior atual seguinte »

Sumário

ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Braz J Psychiatry 43 (4) • Jul-Aug 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1061 copy

Stressful life events and hopelessness in adults: the mediating role of mentalization and emotional dysregulation

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Objective:

Hopelessness is considered a risk factor for several mental and behavioral disorders. Research has shown that a stressful life event can be a significant predictor of hopelessness. The aim of the current research study was to explore the relationship between stressful life events and hopelessness, as well as to analyses the mediation effect of both mentalization and emotional dysregulation on this relationship.

Methods:

In a cross-sectional design, 607 participants recruited from the Spanish general population completed a series of measures.

Results:

Hopelessness was significantly related to stressful life events (r = 0.24, p < 0.001), emotion dysregulation variables (r = 0.18/0.38), and most measures of mentalization (r = 0.02/0.34). A good-fitting structural equation modeling-based mediation model (χ²/df = 2.04; root mean squared error of approximation = 0.042 [90%CI 0.033-0.050]; comparative fit index = 0.97; non-normed fit index = 0.97) showed that mentalization significantly mediated the relationship between stressful life events and hopelessness, while emotion dysregulation had no significant mediating effect.

Conclusions:

These results could have important clinical implications, such as the development of mentalization-based interventions for people living under a large number of stressors.

Stressful life events; mentalization; emotional dysregulation; hopelessness

	n	%
Gender
Male	193	31.8
Female	410	67.5
Non-binary	4	0.7
Marital status
Unmarried	232	38.2
Married or living with partner	325	53.5
Divorced	45	7.4
Widowed	5	0.8
Educational level
Some primary education	5	0.8
Primary education completed	30	4.9
Secondary education	63	10.4
Vocational education	56	9.2
Professional education	72	11.9
University degree	380	62.6
Income (€ / year)
< 5,000	74	12.2
5,000 to 10,000	77	12.7
11,000 to 15,000	103	17.0
16,000 to 20,000	92	15.2
21,000 to 30,000	113	18.6
31,000 to 40,000	69	11.4
41,000 to 50,000	36	5.9
> 50,000	43	7.1
Psychiatric diagnosis
Yes	56	9.2
No	551	90.8

	M	SD	Min	Max	Sk	K
Stress	27.34	15.11	0	76	0.45	-0.26
Hopelessness	4.23	3.25	0	18	1.37	1.86
RMET	13.58	2.49	4	19	-0.42	0.10
Perspective taking	25.18	4.93	10	35	-0.10	-0.51
Fantasy	22.58	5.95	7	35	0.02	-0.53
Empathic concern	26.84	4.56	10	35	-0.35	-0.03
Personal distress	16.75	5.06	7	35	0.47	0.05
Difficulty describing emotions	12.14	8.43	0	35	0.57	-0.45
Difficulties identifying feelings	10.76	6.49	0	25	0.25	-0.88
Externally oriented thinking	12.20	5.79	0	27	0.07	-0.65
MAAS	4.23	0.86	1	6	-0.59	0.19
Inattention	9.48	3.83	4	20	0.45	-0.53
Rejection	15.23	7.21	7	35	0.95	0.09
Confusion	7.89	3.50	4	20	1.02	0.60
Interference	10.07	4.18	4	20	0.71	-0.32
Non-control	17.10	7.70	9	44	1.19	0.75

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
1. Stress	-
2. Hopelessness	0.24^* * p < 0.001	-
3. RMET	0.05	-0.02	-
4. Perspective taking	0.11^† † p < 0.01	-0.05	0.13^* * p < 0.001	-
5. Fantasy	0.27^* * p < 0.001	0.09^‡ ‡ p < 0.05	0.16^* * p < 0.001	0.29^* * p < 0.001	-
6. Empathic concern	0.28^* * p < 0.001	0.09^‡ ‡ p < 0.05	0.17^* * p < 0.001	0.45^* * p < 0.001	0.47^* * p < 0.001	-
7. Personal distress	0.23^* * p < 0.001	0.34^* * p < 0.001	0.01	-0.12^† † p < 0.01	0.21^* * p < 0.001	0.19^* * p < 0.001	-
8. Difficulty describing emotions	0.31^* * p < 0.001	0.31^* * p < 0.001	-0.05	-0.18^* * p < 0.001	0.10^‡ ‡ p < 0.05	0.09^‡ ‡ p < 0.05	0.43^* * p < 0.001	-
9. Difficulties identifying feelings	0.14^* * p < 0.001	0.26^* * p < 0.001	-0.10^‡ ‡ p < 0.05	-0.21^* * p < 0.001	-0.03	-0.12^† † p < 0.01	0.32^* * p < 0.001	0.62^* * p < 0.001	-
10. Externally oriented thinking	-0.07	0.12^† † p < 0.01	-0.20^* * p < 0.001	-0.49^* * p < 0.001	-0.33^* * p < 0.001	-0.33^* * p < 0.001	0.18^* * p < 0.001	0.29^* * p < 0.001	0.41^* * p < 0.001	-
11. MAAS	-0.33^* * p < 0.001	-0.28^* * p < 0.001	0.00	0.09	-0.15^* * p < 0.001	-0.04	-0.30^* * p < 0.001	-0.54^* * p < 0.001	-0.44^* * p < 0.001	-0.20^* * p < 0.001	-
12. Inattention	0.01	0.18^* * p < 0.001	-0.16^* * p < 0.001	-0.36^* * p < 0.001	-0.26^* * p < 0.001	-0.26^* * p < 0.001	-18^* * p < 0.001	0.38^* * p < 0.001	0.50^* * p < 0.001	0.55^* * p < 0.001	-0.42^* * p < 0.001	-
13. Rejection	0.33^* * p < 0.001	0.31^* * p < 0.001	-0.03	-0.02	0.20^* * p < 0.001	0.18^* * p < 0.001	0.41^* * p < 0.001	0.57^* * p < 0.001	0.39^* * p < 0.001	0.09^‡ ‡ p < 0.05	-0.42^* * p < 0.001	0.14^* * p < 0.001	-
14. Confusion	0.23^* * p < 0.001	0.25^* * p < 0.001	-0.07	-0.22^* * p < 0.001	0.01	-0.08^‡ ‡ p < 0.05	0.32^* * p < 0.001	0.73^* * p < 0.001	0.64^* * p < 0.001	0.31^* * p < 0.001	-0.54^* * p < 0.001	0.49^* * p < 0.001		-
15. Interference	0.37^* * p < 0.001	0.34^* * p < 0.001	0.04	0.04	0.25^* * p < 0.001	0.16^* * p < 0.001	0.40^* * p < 0.001	0.43^* * p < 0.001	0.29^* * p < 0.001	-0.04	-0.43^* * p < 0.001	0.06	0.51^* * p < 0.001	0.42^* * p < 0.001	-
16. Non-control	0.39^* * p < 0.001	0.38^* * p < 0.001	0.01	-0.11^† † p < 0.01	0.24^* * p < 0.001	0.14^* * p < 0.001	0.49^* * p < 0.001	0.56^* * p < 0.001	0.31^* * p < 0.001	0.06	-0.49^* * p < 0.001	0.13^* * p < 0.001	0.60^* * p < 0.001	0.53^* * p < 0.001	0.75^* * p < 0.001

Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria Rua Pedro de Toledo, 967 - casa 1, 04039-032 São Paulo SP Brazil, Tel.: +55 11 5081-6799, Fax: +55 11 3384-6799, Fax: +55 11 5579-6210 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: editorial@abp.org.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Correspondence: Pamela Parada Fernández, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, Calle Isabel Torres 21, 39011, Santander, Cantabria, Spain. E-mail: pamela.parada@uneatlantico.es