ADOLESCENT EMOTIONS PROJECT

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Parasuicidal behavior in adolescence marks significant risk for later suicide and may represent a precursor to the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Theories of parasuicide and BPD suggest that emotion dysregulation underlies the act of self-harm, which serves to regulate overwhelming negative affect. However, no studies have thoroughly explored an emotion dysregulation model of parasuicide, inculding both cognitive and physiological measures of this trait. The proposed research will compare parasuicidal teens with normal controls and a clinical comparison group with major depressive disorder (n=25/group) on behavioral and physiological measures of emotion regulation. Adolescents and their parent will complete self-report measures of emotion regulation and psychopathology. Physiological assessments will be conducted with both the parent and adolescent during baseline, an emotionally evocative film clip from "The Champ," and a problem-solving discussion. Physiological indices include electrodermal responding (EDR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP). Adolescents will also complete a dexamethasone suppression test (DST), which is an established biological marker of suicide risk.