Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms Moderate the Relationship Between Emotion Dysregulation and Suicide Ideation in Adolescents

Abstract

The relationship between emotion dysregulation and suicide ideation may depend on the level of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. It was expected that both internalizing and externalizing symptoms would moderate the relationship between emotion dysregulation and suicide ideation, such that greater symptoms would strengthen the relationship between emotion dysregulation and suicide ideation. Adolescent participants (n = 559, Mage = 15.40, 85.0% white, 57.2% female) completed self-report measures that assessed emotion dysregulation, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and recent suicide ideation. Both internalizing and externalizing symptoms moderated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and suicide ideation; this relationship strengthened as internalizing and externalizing symptoms increased. The results of this study indicate that internalizing and externalizing symptoms may both affect the connection between emotion dysregulation and suicide ideation. Future research should focus on targeting both internalizing and externalizing symptoms in treatment to help reduce emotion dysregulation and suicide ideation in adolescents.

Keywords: adolescents; emotion dysregulation; externalizing; internalizing; suicide ideation.