Beliefs about automatic mood regulation: Links to psychopathology

Dual-process approaches have recognised that emotion regulation (ER) can be effortful or automatic. Psychopathology research has typically focused on the negative ER. However, ineffective regulation of positive emotion is detrimental for well-being and evident in psychopathology, particularly mania. This study developed a measure of beliefs about the automation regulation of positive emotions. In university students (n = 232), beliefs about the automaticity and transience of positive and negative mood states were positively associated with one another. Beliefs about the automaticity of positive and negative mood regulation were both negatively associated with engagement in effortful ER strategies (dampening positive affect; rumination and risk-taking in response to depression), depression, anxiety, and mania risk. Beliefs about automatic mood regulation for positive emotions appeared to be more relevant for ineffective positive affect regulation and hypomania. Overall, findings suggest that believing moods will come and go on their own with little effort required are adaptive processes, regardless of emotion valence.