(How) do medical students regulate their emotions?

BACKGROUND: Medical training can be a challenging and emotionally intense period for medical students. However the emotions experienced by medical students in the face of challenging situations and the emotion regulation strategies they use remains relatively unexplored. The aim of the present study was to explore the emotions elicited by memorable incidents reported by medical students and the associated emotion regulation strategies. METHODS: Peer interviewing was used to collect medical students’ memorable incidents. Medical students at both preclinical and clinical stage of medical school were eligible to participate. In total 104 medical students provided memorable incidents. Only 54 narratives included references to emotions and emotion regulation and thus were further analyzed. RESULTS: The narratives of 47 clinical and 7 preclinical students were further analyzed for their references to emotions and emotion regulation strategies. Forty seven out of 54 incidents described a negative incident associated with negative emotions. The most frequently mentioned emotion was shock and surprise followed by feelings of embarrassment, sadness, anger and tension or anxiety. The most frequent reaction was inaction often associated with emotion regulation strategies such as distraction, focusing on a task, suppression of emotions and reappraisal. When students witnessed mistreatment or disrespect exhibited towards patients, the regulation strategy used involved focusing and comforting the patient. CONCLUSIONS: The present study sheds light on the strategies medical students use to deal with intense negative emotions. The vast majority reported inaction in the face of a challenging situation and the use of more subtle strategies to deal with the emotional impact of the incident. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-016-0832-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Can empathy lead to emotional exhaustion in teachers? The mediating role of emotional labor

Objectives: The present study was designed to examine the links between empathy, emotional labor (both surface and deep acting), and emotional exhaustion as well as determine if emotional labor mediates the relationship between empathy and emotional exhaustion in teachers. It was assumed that emotional labor can take two opposite directions (positive mood induction and negative mood induction). Thus, the additional aim of the study was to analyze the mediating role of mood regulation strategies in the relationship between empathy and emotional exhaustion. Materials and Methods: A sample of 168 teachers from Łódź and its surroundings completed a set of questionnaires: Emotional Labor Scale; Mood Regulation Scales, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Empathic Sensitivity Scale. Results: The results provided mixed support for the hypotheses indicating that both types of emotional labor, negative mood induction and emotional exhaustion were positively intercorrelated. Moreover, deep acting was a significant mediator in the relationship between empathy and emotional exhaustion. The analyzed link was also mediated by negative mood induction, whereas positive mood induction did not emerge as a significant mediator. Conclusions: The study provided insight into the role of empathy and emotional labor in the development of teacher burnout. It also confirmed that deep acting and negative mood induction mediate the relationship between empathy and emotional exhaustion in teachers

Gelosia e tristezza: teorie ingenue nella cultura olandese, e loro confronto con quelle espresse nella cultura italiana

Allo scopo di indagare di quali concetti si compongono le teorie ingenue (concezioni) delle persone circa due tipi di esperienze emozionali, la Gelosia e la Tristezza, sono state condotte quattro ricerche parallele con studenti universitari, italiani e olandesi, di età media di 24 anni (N complessivo: 961). Ciascun soggetto rispondeva ad un questionario relativo ad un unico evento, ‘lieve’ oppure ‘grave’ per le sue implicazioni: Flirt o Bacio per la Gelosia; morte del Nonno (o di un amico/a collega), o morte di un Conoscente (o del proprio cane) per la Tristezza. L’articolo riporta i risultati ottenuti nell’analisi delle risposte dei soggetti a sei domande aperte inerenti quali sono le reazioni immediate del protagonista dell’evento nella specifica situazione, e quali quelle adeguate, perché l’evento causa un’esperienza emotiva, per quali cause/motivi vengono condivise oppure no le emozioni provate, e quali sono i motivi per cui il/la protagonista si sente o meno in conflitto e incerto circa le emozioni provate. I risultati mostrano che i soggetti possiedono teorie ingenue complesse che comprendono sia concetti che definiscono la categoria superordinata emozione, sia concetti che sono emozione-specifici. Sulla ricchezza e sugli specifici contenuti delle teorie influiscono in modo notevole lo specifico tipo di evento giudicato, e, in subordine, la nazionalità e sesso dei soggetti

Attachment and dysfunctional rumination: The mediating role of Emotional Intelligence Abilities

Integrating theories of attachment and maladaptive rumination, the present study tested the hypothesis that Emotional Intelligence (EI) abilities mediate relationships between insecure adult attachment orientations (Anxiety and Avoidance) and dysfunctional rumination (Brooding and Depression-related). The results showed that attachment anxiety and avoidance were positively associated with brooding and depression-related rumination, and EI abilities mediated these associations. Emotion perception and management abilities partially mediated the relationship of anxious attachment with brooding rumination, and fully mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment and brooding rumination. Using and understanding emotion abilities fully mediated links between anxious and avoidant attachment and depression related rumination. The results highlight the role of emotion-information processing in the adoption of maladaptive rumination in insecure attachment