Emotion Regulation Training on Irritability, Alexithymia, and Interpersonal Problems of Adolescents with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Background: Difficulty regulating emotion has been identified as a transdiagnostic factor common to a range of psychiatric diagnoses and behavior problems. This article's aim is the implementing emotion regulation training techniques for adolescents with a disruptive mood disorder, emphasizing the irritability and alexithymia, and interpersonal problems in adolescents with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder Methods: This quasi-experimental research used a pre-test and post-test design carried out on 30 disruptive mood disorders in Tehran, Iran, in 2022-23 and were selected by simple purposive sampling. They were then randomly assigned to two 15-member (experimental and control) groups. The intervention group received self-regulation training over two months through eight 90-minute group therapy sessions, whereas the control group received no treatment. The data were collected using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Short Version. Data were analyzed using SPSS-25 software and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: As indicated by results, there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of irritability (F= 26.45, P=0.001, η=0.695), alexithymia (F= 38.91, P=0.001, η=0.781), and interpersonal Problems (F=31.27, P=0.001, η=0.734). Moreover, according to the alexithymia's largest effect size (0.781), emotion regulation training had more effect on alexithymia. Conclusion: Based on the results of the present research, emotion regulation training can be implemented effectively in clinics and psychological treatment centers. Also, as a result of using emotion regulation training, it is possible to improve the psychological characteristics and improve the social relations of these people. It is also suggested that relevant organizations train specialists and also train school counselors in this way.