Emotional Dysregulation
What is emotional dysregulation?
Emotional dysregulation is not known or classified as a ‘disorder’ in itself but it does underpin many mental health issues. It is an internal process that has far reaching effects on the individual’s ability to function.
Frank Paulus and his colleagues defined emotional dysregulation in a 2021 review of this concept in child and adolescent psychiatry as “the inability to regulate the intensity and quality of emotions (such as, fear, anger, sadness), in order to generate an appropriate emotional response, to handle excitability, mood instability, and emotional overreactivity, and to come down to an emotional baseline” (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8573252/).
When we see children and adolescents express their negative emotions, we are seeing them attempt to communicate as well as trying to regulate themselves emotionally.
This might look like being:
- overexcited,
- fluctuating moods,
- irritability,
- aggression, and
- temper tantrums
It is important to bear in mind however that all of the above are considered normal behaviours even when frequent at certain stages of development, though they tend to substantially decrease as a child grows and matures. As adults, we might all be able to think of times when we could tick these behaviours off – the key is in the frequency and intensity as well as the impact that it has on our ability to function.
What is emotional regulation and why is it important?
Emotional regulation is the complex process that involves us recognising and managing our own emotions in response to the situation we are in. As you can probably guess, small children will have less well-developed emotion regulation skills than older children and these older children and adolescents will be less well developed than adults. This would describe what typically happens as a person moves through developmental stages and their emotional responses become more adaptive as their brain matures and through interaction with their environment. However, this typical process may not always happen quite so smoothly. Neurobiological differences may affect this process (this generally refers to the aspects that children bring into the world with them when they are born, for example ADHD or autism) and the environment around them can affect this process as well. Trauma and adversity can interrupt this emotional maturing process in the brain.
Developing emotional regulation
Emotional regulation forms as babies and toddlers interact with their caregivers. These interactions, together with the unique genetic map for that individual, creates the neural circuitry in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala that is required for developing the ability to recognise and modulate emotions in a way that fits with both the individual’s needs and the needs of others around them, allowing them to function adaptively in any given situation.
The Importance of emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation is important because it is one of the core skills we require for interacting with others, along with theory of mind (our ability to understand that others may have different perspectives). When a child or adolescent struggles with emotional regulation, they likely encounter problems in their relationships with their family or friends or both. They may find it difficult to adapt their emotional responses to both their own needs and the demands of the environment. This can make it hard to function both at home and at school and can lead to issues like school avoidance (or ‘school can’t’), anxiety, depression, as well as behavioural challenges.
Difficulties with Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation is a key aspect to many difficulties we help young people with. It is commonly linked to:
- ADHD and autism – emotional dysregulation and its consequences is very frequently the issue that young people and their parents will have for seeking assistance. It is a central aspect to some of the difficulties that neurodivergent young people may encounter for various reasons.
- Anxiety and depression – children and adolescents with these symptoms may be more likely to ruminate over negative situations rather than using emotional regulation strategies like problem solving, distraction or challenging their thinking. A cyclical pattern may exists where depression may put too much pressure on emotion regulation capacity, worsening symptoms.
- Trauma – early trauma is a major predictor for poor emotional regulation. If trauma occurs during the development of these important skills, it may impair a child’s ability to cope with stress because these skills rely heavily on their ability to use emotion regulation.
- Suicidality – it is understood that emotional dysregulation plays a significant role in maintaining suicidality. Difficulties in regulating emotions may contribute to greater reactivity towards relationship stressors and other difficult events in a young person’s life.
Treating emotional regulation difficulties
It is important to know that emotional regulation is like a muscle – the more an individual can employ skills to manage their emotions, the greater their capacity is to do so. Providing children with the skills required to manage their emotions as early as possible prevents bigger problems developing and decreases the chances a young person will develop a mental health disorder.
Sometimes this will be learnt through a young person’s parent becoming skilled in parenting strategies that help them maintain their own emotional regulation and expand their responsive (rather than reactive) capacity. This is particularly true of young children as their ability to generalise learnt strategies in the clinic room and deploy them when necessary is limited. The Young Mind Clinic psychologists are skilled in providing the necessary skills and support to parents to help their child manage their emotions more effectively.
The Management of emotions can be difficult, but we can help. Book an appointment today to help your child build emotional regulation skills that support lifelong wellbeing.
Strategies to Manage Emotional Dysregulation
As children get older, there are huge benefits to be had in teaching them evidence-based strategies that they can practice with the support of their parents outside the clinic. At The Young Mind Clinic, we utilise several therapy models that are ‘tried and true’ ways to assist young people experiencing emotional dysregulation. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based approaches target the improvement of emotional regulation and are evidence-based interventions used at The Young Mind Clinic with young people.
Children and adolescents are not ‘mini adults’ and therefore it is important that therapy is adapted in a way that suits young people and fits with their developmental stage. As psychologists who exclusively work with children and teens, we know how important it is to build rapport and identify what will be most useful to the young person, communicating in a way that young people can understand.
Your Emotional Dysregulation Questions Answered (FAQs)
Improving an individuals capacity to regulate their emotions is helpful at any age, but the younger, the better. Generally very young children are most likely to benefit from their parents receiving parenting support in order to better support their child to learn these skills. Adolescents and older primary aged children can certainly benefit from individual therapy.
Emotional Regulation From an Experienced Team
At The Young Mind Clinic, our psychologists are AHPRA-registered and hold Masters-level qualifications in child and adolescent mental health. We work closely with children, teens, and their families to support emotional wellbeing, with a particular focus on helping young people better understand and manage their emotions. Our team is dedicated to providing developmentally appropriate care, and several of our clinicians also offer Psychology Board Approved supervision in the areas of child and adolescent mental health.
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Get in touch to discuss your child’s needs. Our team will recommend the right psychologist for your child, combining expert care with genuine understanding.
Child psychologists are available for you to consult with in Lane Cove or from anywhere via teleconference.
We know that the mountain may seem high, but there is help available. Let us support both you and your child by helping them and you learn useful tools and strategies for managing emotions.
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