The Role of Neuroticism and Experiential Avoidance in Predicting Anxiety and Depression Symptoms: Mediating Effect of Emotion Regulation

BACKGROUND Preliminary evidence supports the role of neuroticism, experiential avoidance and emotion regulation in anxiety and depression; however, the mechanism of these relationships is not known well. OBJECTIVES The present study mainly aimed to assess the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between neuroticism and experiential avoidance and anxiety and depression symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS By convenient sampling, 316 students from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences and University of Tehran were selected and measures of experiential avoidance, neuroticism, emotion regulation, worry, anxiety and depression were administered among them, 2014-2015. Path analysis via regression according to Baron and Kenny evaluative criteria was used for data analysis. RESULTS Experiential avoidance and neuroticism predicted anxiety, and depression symptoms and the predictions were mediated by emotion regulation and worry. CONCLUSIONS Emotion regulation deficits have an outstanding role in the mechanism of anxiety and depression which are so comorbid and further studies are needed to evaluate emotion regulation with more advanced methods and along with other transdiagnostic components.