Emotion regulation styles as longitudinal predictors of compulsive exercise: A twelve month prospective study. Issue 8 (25th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goodwin, Huw; Haycraft, Emma; Meyer, Caroline
• Is Part Of: Journal of adolescence. Volume 37:Issue 8(2014)
• Page Start: 1399
• Page End: 1404
• Publication Date: 2014-10-25
• Subjects: Emotion regulation -- Adolescents -- Health promotion -- Eating disorders -- Risk factors -- Internal Dysfunctional emotion regulation; Adolescent psychiatry -- Periodicals; Adolescent psychology -- Periodicals; Adolescence -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 305.23505
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.10.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-1971

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Exercise can be used as a mood regulator but, in the eating disorder literature, exercise has sometimes been found to be compulsive, detrimental to physical health, and regarded as one maladaptive strategy used to regulate emotions. This study examined longitudinal associations between emotion regulation styles and this compulsive exercise in 572 adolescents who completed measures of compulsive exercise and emotion regulation. Twelve months later they completed measures of compulsive exercise. Compulsive exercise was predicted by Internal Dysfunctional emotion regulation in girls and boys, even after controlling for initial levels of compulsive exercise. Adolescents displaying compulsivity to exercise may require intervention programmes to alter their emotion regulation strategies.