BackgroundEmotion regulation difficulties underlie several psychiatric conditions, and treatments that focus on improving emotion regulation can have an effect on a broad range of symptoms. However, participants in-depth experiences of participating in emotion regulation treatments have not been much studied. In this qualitative study, we investigated participants experiences of a joint emotion regulation group skills training in a child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient setting.MethodsTwenty-one participants (10 adolescents and 11 parents) were interviewed about their experiences after they had participated in a seven-session transdiagnostic emotion regulation skills training for adolescents and parents. The aim of the skills training was to decrease emotion regulation difficulties, increase emotional awareness, reduce psychiatric symptoms, and enhance quality of life. The skills training consisted of psychoeducation about emotions and skills for regulating emotions. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsThe analysis resulted in three overarching themes: Parent - Child processes, Individual processes, and Group processes. The result showed that participants considered an improved parent-child relationship to be the main outcome. Increased knowledge, emotion regulation skills and behavioural change were conceptualised as both mechanisms of change and outcomes. The group format, and the fact that parents and adolescents participated together, were seen as facilitators. Furthermore, the participants experienced targeting emotions in skills training as meaningful and helpful.ConclusionThe results highlight the potential benefits of providing emotion regulation skills training for adolescents and parents together in a group format to improve the parent-child relationship and enable the opportunity to learn skills.

Background Emotion regulation difficulties appear to play a role in the development and maintenance of several eating disorders. This pilot study aimed at examining whether a short add-on group skills training in emotion regulation for young adults with different eating disorders was feasible in a psychiatric clinical setting. We also investigated if the treatment increased knowledge of emotions, and decreased self-reported difficulties with emotion regulation, alexithymia, symptoms of eating disorder, anxiety and depression, as well as clinical impairment. Methods Six skills training groups were piloted with a total of 29 participants (M = 21.41 years, SD = 1.92). The treatment consisted of five sessions dealing with psychoeducation about emotions and emotion regulation skills training. Paired samples t-test was used to compare differences between before-and-after measures. Results The primary outcomes measures difficulties in emotion regulation (p < 0.001) and alexithymia (p < 0.001) showed significant improvement after treatment. The total eating disorder score (p = 0.009) was also significantly reduced, as was clinical impairment (p < 0.001). Acceptance/valued direction, identifying primary emotions and learning about secondary emotions was rated as especially helpful. Conclusions This preliminary pilot study showed that group training targeting emotion regulation skills was feasible and appreciated by participants, as well as being potentially promising as an adjunctive treatment for different eating disorders. Further controlled studies are needed.

Difficulties with emotion regulation have been identified as an underlying mechanism in mental health. This pilot study aimed at examining whether group skills training in emotion regulation for adolescents and parents as an add-on intervention was feasible in an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatric clinic. We also investigated if the treatment increased knowledge and awareness of emotions and their functions, increased emotion regulation skills and decreased self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Six skills training groups were piloted with a total of 20 adolescents and 21 adults. The treatment consisted of five sessions dealing with psychoeducation about emotions and emotion regulation skills training. Paired-samples t test was used to compare differences between before-and-after measures for adolescents and parents separately. The primary outcome measure, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, showed significant improvement after treatment for both adolescents and parents. For adolescents, measures of alexithymia were significantly reduced. Also, emotional awareness was significantly increased. Measures of depression and anxiety did not change. In conclusion, group skills training as an add-on treatment can be feasible and effective but further studies are needed.