The impact of reappraisal ability on adjustment to stressful life events

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Stressful life events (SLEs) such as death of a loved one, unemployment, or divorce are frequently encountered in adulthood. For some, these SLEs lead to debilitating and long-lasting outcomes such as depression and anxiety disorders. Others, however, exhibit impressive resilience in the face of SLEs. What factors govern this vast individual variation in outcomes? One possible answer to this question is suggested by emerging research on reappraisal, a type of emotion regulation that involves cognitive reframing emotional events so as to render them less emotional. This research strongly implies reappraisal in mental health and well-being. Individuals' ability to use reappraisal might thus be a key psychological factor that predicts individual variation in outcomes in the face of SLEs. In addition, because reappraisal has powerful effects on the intensity of affective responses, and because the intensity of affective responses is an important risk factor for negative adjustment to SLEs, reappraisal ability points us to a key mediating mechanism in these links, namely decreased intensity of affective responses (affective reactivity). These observations suggest that understanding reappraisal ability can provide a key to forming a scientific model of individual variation in adjustment to SLEs. This knowledge is additionally of crucial applied importance because it could effectively guide interventions and thus help prevent severe mental-health outcomes in many individuals. However, large gaps exist in what we know about (1) the precise psychological processes involved in reappraisal ability, particularly in adults, (2) the role individual differences in reappraisal ability play in adjustment to SLEs, and (3) the mechanisms by which they affect adjustment to SLEs. In order to address the most pressing questions surrounding reappraisal and its role in individuals' adjustment to SLEs, we propose to recruit a community sample of individuals aged 21 to 60 who have recently experienced SLEs. In this sample, we will (1) examine reappraisal ability in a laboratory paradigm, with a particular focus on understanding the cognitive-control processes that might support reappraisal ability, (2) examine, in a longitudinal design, the prospective role that individual differences in reappraisal ability play in adjustment to SLEs, and (3) examine whether these effects are mediated by negative affective reactivity. Together, the proposed studies should advance our understanding of a lynchpin process in individuals' adjustment to SLEs, and thereby make a significant contribution to our understanding of individuals' mental health and well-being. Because we will examine a diverse group of individuals across a large range of ages (21-60) exposed to a variety of SLEs, we will be able to extensively test the specificity and generalizability of the proposed links. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The objective of this research program is to contribute to understanding the vast individual variation in health outcomes in the face of stressful life events. It focuses on a psychological process that theoretical and empirical considerations suggest as crucial, namely individuals' ability to use reappraisal, or, cognitively reframe stressful events so as to render them less emotional. In the longer term, findings from this project will be critical for the development of effective, empirically-based early identification and prevention programs.