Emotion Regulation Strategies as Transdiagnostic Processes: a Closer Look at the Invariance of Their Form and Function

Recent investigations suggest that emotion regulation can be conceptualized as a transdiagnostic process (Kring & Sloan, 2010). Specifically, the habitual use of putatively maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination, suppression), and the infrequent use of putatively adaptive strategies (e.g., acceptance, reappraisal) have been shown to predict various symptoms of psychopathology (Aldao et al., 2010). However, little is known about the extent to which the different facets that constitute the process of implementing such strategies can be conceptualized as transdiagnostic. I propose the adoption of a functional behavioral approach to delineate which aspects of such implementation (i.e., form, function) are variant and which are invariant across disorders. This approach has the potential to further our understanding of the transdiagnostic and disorderspecific mechanisms by which emotion regulation is associated with the development, maintenance, and treatment of mental disorders.