Emotion regulation and mental distress following a romantic breakup

Introduction: Romantic breakups are common, yet for some individuals they pose a serious threat to their mental health. This two-wave prospective study examined how specific emotion regulation (ER) strategies and the balance between maladaptive and all ER strategies (the maladaptive ER ratio) relate to post-breakup mental distress. Methods: Adults (N = 95) with lovesickness, who had experienced a breakup within the past 3 months completed online questionnaires at study intake (T1) and 3 months later (T2). ER was assessed at T1 with two instruments. Post-Breakup Mental Distress Index (PMDI) composite scores were formed, summarizing breakup distress, lovesickness, and general psychopathology at T1 and T2. Results: Cross-sectional analyses indicated that rumination, catastrophizing, and experience suppression were associated with higher PMDI, whereas acceptance predicted lower PMDI. Prospectively, rumination, catastrophizing, and putting into perspective predicted higher PMDI at follow-up. Maladaptive ER ratios predicted PMDI at T1, whereas only the HFERST maladaptive ER ratio predicted PMDI at T2 beyond baseline PMDI. Discussion: Findings highlight the beneficial concurrent association with acceptance and the detrimental short- and long-term influence of rumination and catastrophizing. The context-specific nature of ER was highlighted, as the putatively adaptive strategy of putting into perspective predicted higher distress at follow-up. A greater relative predominance of maladaptive strategies within the ER repertoire was strongly associated with concurrent post-breakup distress, while its prospective relevance differed between the two measures. Reducing rumination and catastrophizing while fostering a more balanced ER repertoire may facilitate post-separation adjustment.