Ian Matthew Raugh

BackgroundA wide range of psychiatric populations experience difficulties with emotion regulation, including knowing when to regulate, choosing adaptive strategies, and applying selected strategies effectively. To address these challenges, it is important to identify moderators of emotion regulation processes that can be targeted in therapeutic interventions. Although certain moderators, such as mindfulness and cognitive functioning, are relatively well established in the psychiatric literature, cultural background and psychosocial context can be important avenues for investigation.AimsThis planned project aims to investigate mindfulness, cognitive functioning, cultural background, and context as moderators of emotion regulation processes.MethodsData will be collected in two samples, a pilot study (completed April 2026) to validate a novel emotion regulation task and a sample of 100 community members. The full study procedures will include a spontaneous emotion regulation task, ecological momentary assessment, brief mindfulness practices, and a cognitive task across a three-week protocol. The task will assess when people choose to regulate, what strategies they select, and how effectively they implement those strategies. Ecological momentary assessment will be used to assess regulatory processes and relevant moderators in daily life. Optional qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of participants.ResultsResults are expected to specify how mindfulness components, cognitive domains, cultural background, and other contextual variables influence specific emotion regulation processes.ConclusionsThe planned research adopts an innovative approach consisting of multiple complementary methods. Through doing so, we aim to offer valuable insights into moderators of emotion regulation that can be targeted in clinical interventions.

Online research is increasingly popular to reach under-represented populations and expand research samples; however, it is also vulnerable to fraud in the form of “bots” (automated respondents, e.g., Large Language Models) and humans, such as completing a survey multiple times or when they are not eligible. Often, “infiltration” by such fraudulent responses is only noted and addressed after data collection has started. Here we present a classification process consisting of automated and manual detection techniques (“flags”) with practical suggestions for customization and implementation in other research contexts, grounded in the literature and our own experiences in a large online survey of video gaming behaviours. Using this protocol, we screened out 7638 likely fraudulent responses out of 8474 (90.13%). Among the flags implemented, those related to participant address, overall survey speed, and pattern of responses in “batches” provided the best performance. Ultimately, we recommend using multiple routes and layers to detect possibly fraudulent responses rather than reliance on any one or two indicators. By proactively considering how to detect and respond to fraud, researchers can have greater confidence in the integrity of their data, preserve limited resources, and minimize burden from post hoc fraud identification.

Background: Classic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard in mental health research but, given their multiple limitations and threats to external validity, alternative trial designs may be more suitable in many circumstances. Objectives: This narrative review explores research designs and methodologies that can be useful to researchers interested in investigating the effects of psychosocial or other non-medical interventions for psychiatric conditions. Results: New or better-tailored methods have been developed over the years, including: improved RCTs with adaptive designs (e.g., microRCT, SMART, RAR, target-emulation, adaptive dose-response), randomized baseline single case experimental designs; experience sampling method; E-technology (e.g., sensors for movement, social media monitoring with natural language processing); matched cohort studies and cluster randomized trials; and partially randomized preference trials, as well as mixed-methods and hybrid effectiveness/implementation trials. Conclusion: By expanding the scope of recommended methods, above and beyond classic RCTs, the field can more easily determine the impact of psychosocial treatments in mental health research.

Background: Digital phenotyping (DP) for mental health is an emerging field with the potential to become a powerful tool in clinical settings. However, given the risk of bias or incorrect variable interpretation in marginalized subgroups, for this technology to be used effectively, social determinants of health (SDH) must be integrated into DP research. However it is not known how commonly and in what manner SDH are integrated into DP research. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies applying DP in mental health populations to examine how SDH variables are collected, reported, and integrated. The primary objective was to inform the development of practical, standardized guidelines for incorporating SDH into DP research. Eligible studies used DP in clinical populations defined as diagnosed, symptom-based, or at risk for mental health conditions. We excluded studies focused solely on chronic physical illness, age as a risk indicator, neurodegenerative conditions, or tobacco-only substance use, as well as reviews, protocols, and conceptual papers. We searched PubMed, Embase (OVID), and APA PsycInfo (OVID) on october 4th 2024, Web of Science Core Collection on October 23rd 2024, and Scopus on October 24th, 2024. Studies were assessed for quality using the JBI Checklist and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024626050).Results: A total of 825 unique papers were screened at the abstract level, 192 underwent full-text review, 74 were accepted for data extraction, and 63 articles were ultimately included in the review.. Considerable heterogeneity was observed in how SDH were reported and integrated into digital phenotyping research. Age, sex, gender, and race/ethnicity were the most frequently reported variables, yet definitions were often inconsistent. Moreover, SDH were most often used solely to describe the characteristics of the target population. Thirty-eight studies (60.3%) used advanced analytic methods, including machine learning. While some studies acknowledged potential demographic or representation biases, formal fairness or bias assessments were rarely conducted. Biases were most often related to age, sex/gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors, and behavioral features sometimes had different interpretations across population subgroups. Overall, consideration of bias and the use of fairness or mitigation strategies in DP research remain limited.Conclusion: This review identified several current gaps in the integration and interpretation of SDH in DP research. Based on our findings, we propose a set of guidelines for incorporating SDH into research projects, organized into three tiers.

Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) experience difficulties across stages of emotion regulation. However, moderators of abnormalities at each stage have not been systematically examined, limiting the development of mechanism-based treatment approaches. In the current study, outpatients with SZ (n = 52) and healthy controls (CN) (n = 55) completed six days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) assessing emotional experience, emotion regulation, and moderators including: arousal, emotional awareness, ability to describe emotions, interoception, acceptance, emotion regulation knowledge, and cognitive ability. For identification, emotional awareness and the ability to describe emotions moderated the initiation of emotion regulation in the CN group but not SZ. For selection, interoceptive awareness moderated the frequency of selecting individual strategies in CN only. For implementation, arousal, emotional awareness, and ability to describe emotions improved the effectiveness of down-regulating negative affect in CN but not SZ. Findings suggest that arousal, interoception, emotional awareness, and the ability to describe emotions facilitate emotion regulation processes at the three stages among CN but not SZ. This is consistent with theories positing that SZ engage in contextually insensitive emotion regulation. Findings are discussed in relation to selecting intervention targets tailored to mechanisms underlying abnormalities at each stage of emotion regulation.

Many psychiatric conditions demonstrate overlapping psychological mechanisms warranting clinical intervention. Aversive reactivity (appraisals of unpleasant emotional states as harmful) is one such proposed mechanism by which neuroticism leads to maladaptive emotion regulation and mental illness. Although some constructs have been directly connected to aversive reactivity (e.g., distress tolerance), associations with other plausibly related constructs (e.g., mindful acceptance) have not been evaluated, nor does a measure of it yet exist. Undergraduates completed self-report questionnaires of mood symptoms, emotion regulation, neuroticism, and constructs related to aversive reactivity. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated two factors reflecting aversive reactivity and emotional awareness. In hierarchical regressions, aversive reactivity predicted more variance than neuroticism in mood symptoms and emotion regulation. Overall, results support that aversive reactivity is important for behavioural and symptom outcomes. Due to its role as a transdiagnostic mechanism, aversive reactivity should be prioritized in further research and considered as a treatment target.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychopathological outcome of sexual assault. Peritraumatic tonic immobility (TI; involuntary “freezing”) during sexual assault has been linked with worsened PTSD symptoms, yet little research has examined these effects longitudinally. The present study aimed to examine the effects of TI on the severity of PTSD symptoms, negative posttraumatic cognitions (NPC), and dissociative symptoms over 1 year among 112 female survivors of sexual assault aged 16–30 years. Multilevel linear regressions evaluated the effects of time since sexual assault, TI severity, and their interaction on the severity of PTSD symptoms, NPC (total, blame, self, world), and dissociative symptoms. Results indicated that TI severity was associated with increased NPC, β =   .22, p = .018, and dissociative symptom severity, β = .65, p = .037, but not PTSD symptom severity, β = .25, p = .116; these associations remained consistent over time. Given the salience of NPCs, individuals seeking care for TI‐associated sexual trauma may benefit from interventions that can reduce NPCs (e.g., prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy). Further evaluating these treatments’ utility in reducing dissociation may be of particular benefit to individuals with a history of TI reactions during trauma. Finally, coercive rape tactics were associated with increased PTSD symptoms, β = .48, p = .002, whereas forcible, β = −.04, p = .805, and drug‐ or alcohol‐facilitated rape tactics, β = .35,  p = .285, were not, indicating the importance of assessing verbal coercion in research and clinical work with individuals who have experienced sexual assault.

Many forms of psychopathology display abnormalities in down-regulating negative affect (NA). In schizophrenia (SZ), these abnormalities occur at all stages of emotion regulation (identification, selection, implementation) and the nature of these impairments predicts individual differences in clinical presentation. While NA down-regulation is important, regulatory goals can also focus on up- or down-regulating positive affect (PA). It is unclear whether the same pattern of abnormalities observed for NA down-regulation also occurs for PA regulation and whether it predicts negative symptoms (e.g., anhedonia). The current study used ecological assessment (EMA) to examine PA regulation abnormalities in SZ in real-world contexts. Participants included 39 outpatients diagnosed with SZ and 34 healthy controls (CN) who completed 6 days of EMA surveys assessing NA, PA, emotion regulation, and anhedonia. PA down-regulation rates were similarly low in both groups. The intensity of PA did not interact with group for identification rate, strategies selected, or implementation effectiveness, suggesting that PA up-regulation was relatively normal in SZ. However, the intensity of NA predicted the need to up-regulate PA, suggesting that regulation of PA was initiated in response to NA. Further, this relationship differed between the groups such that SZ regulated PA more frequently and with more effort at lower levels of NA. Yet, these regulatory attempts were ineffective at decreasing the severity of anhedonia, and SZ were less effective than CN at decreasing the intensity of NA. Overall, the pattern of emotion regulation abnormalities observed in SZ differs based upon regulatory goals. Abnormalities in regulating NA may be more central to psychopathology in SZ than abnormalities in PA.

Although ayahuasca-a plant-based psychedelic-is discussed as promising in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), evidence so far remains limited to retrospective case reports and qualitative surveys. No study to date has examined whether ayahuasca results in prospective and clinically meaningful changes in trauma symptoms across individuals with PTSD symptoms. To address this gap, we conducted a convergent mixed-methods case series study on eight military veterans with PTSD who participated in a 3-day ayahuasca intervention in Central America. Clinically meaningful changes from pre- to posttreatment and at a 3-month follow-up were assessed in three ways using: (a) PTSD checklist-5 (PCL-5); (b) experience sampling measurement of momentary PTSD and mood symptoms; and (c) an open-ended survey on perceived benefits. The majority (87.5%; 7/8) of participants demonstrated reliable and/or clinically significant changes in PCL-5 symptoms by posttreatment, which were maintained by 70% (5/7) of veterans by the 3-month follow-up. On average, veterans also reported significant improvements in momentary PTSD symptoms, as well as negative and positive affect in daily life posttreatment, with 63% (5/8) reporting moderate-to-large improvements in these domains. Broad themes characterizing the perceived benefits of ayahuasca included deep positive emotions, decentering/acceptance, and purpose in life; adverse acute experiences were, however, reported. This study provides preliminary support for the clinically meaningful and lasting benefits of a brief ayahuasca intervention on PTSD/mood symptoms in military veterans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).