{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,28]],"date-time":"2026-10-28T18:58:13Z","timestamp":1793213893899,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781049600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Adolescence and emerging adulthood are periods of heightened risk for the onset of psychopathology. Emotion dysregulation (ED), impulsiveness, and rumination are transdiagnostic processes implicated across symptom domains, but their relative contributions in clinical youth samples remain unclear. This study examined these three self-regulatory processes simultaneously in first-time help-seeking adolescents and young adults, addressing their differential associations with psychopathological symptom dimensions at an early stage of clinical contact. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study with a cross-sectional design in outpatients aged 16\u201325 years presenting for a first-time psychiatric outpatient consultation at a university hospital in Catania, Italy. Participants completed self-report measures of rumination (RRS), impulsiveness (BIS-11), ED (DERS), and psychopathological symptoms (SCL-90-R). Associations were examined using Spearman\u2019s and partial correlations. Multivariate multiple regression, followed by outcome-specific multiple linear regression models, assessed the relative associations of rumination, ED, and impulsiveness across symptom dimensions. Results: Rumination showed the broadest pattern of unique associations, with FDR-significant associations with eight SCL-90-R domains; the largest coefficient was observed for depression (B = 0.053, 95% CI [0.042, 0.064]). ED was associated with obsessive\u2013compulsive symptoms, depression, anxiety, anger\u2013hostility, and phobic anxiety. Impulsiveness showed more limited associations, remaining significant for anger\u2013hostility and psychoticism. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with a transdiagnostic framework in which rumination and ED relate to multiple symptom dimensions, whereas impulsiveness shows more domain-specific associations. Because the study was cross-sectional and based on self-report measures, these associations should be tested in larger longitudinal and multimethod studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci16060620","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T02:59:31Z","timestamp":1781146771000},"page":"620","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Role of Emotion Dysregulation, Impulsiveness and Rumination in Psychopathology: Evidence from an Italian Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4923-9301","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia Francesca","family":"Aprile","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Psychology, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, Via Teatro Greco 84, 95124 Catania, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Stra\u00dfe 22, 81675 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Avanzato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Al\u00f9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carmen","family":"Concerto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7078-482X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pierfelice","family":"Cutrufelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ludovico","family":"Mineo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gabriele","family":"Privitera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2163-1608","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonino","family":"Petralia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandro","family":"Rodolico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Stra\u00dfe 22, 81675 Munich, Germany"},{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"},{"name":"German Center for Mental Health, Partner site Munich-Augsburg, 80336 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9867-6054","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filippo","family":"Caraci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95123 Catania, Italy"},{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6941-9454","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Salvina","family":"Signorelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy"},{"name":"Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lynne, S.D., Metz, A.S., and Graber, J.A. (2020). Adolescence and Puberty: Understanding the Emergence of Psychopathology. The Cambridge Handbook of Research Methods in Clinical Psychology; Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, Cambridge University Press.","DOI":"10.1017\/9781316995808.020"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-021-01161-7","article-title":"Age at Onset of Mental Disorders Worldwide: Large-Scale Meta-Analysis of 192 Epidemiological Studies","volume":"27","author":"Solmi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2026, February 27). Mental Health of Adolescents. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/adolescent-mental-health."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2877","DOI":"10.1007\/s00787-022-02131-2","article-title":"A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Prevalence of Mental Disorders among Children and Adolescents in Europe","volume":"33","author":"Sacco","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"728","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaac.2022.07.866","article-title":"Systematic Review: Questionnaire-Based Measurement of Emotion Dysregulation in Children and Adolescents","volume":"62","author":"Freitag","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1007\/s11920-022-01325-4","article-title":"Management of Emotion Dysregulation and Outbursts in Children and Adolescents","volume":"24","author":"Sorter","year":"2022","journal-title":"Curr. Psychiatry Rep."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Freis, S.M., Morrison, C.L., Smolker, H.R., Banich, M.T., Kaiser, R.H., Hewitt, J.K., and Friedman, N.P. (2022). Executive Functions and Impulsivity as Transdiagnostic Correlates of Psychopathology in Childhood: A Behavioral Genetic Analysis. Front. Hum. Neurosci., 16.","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2022.863235"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"215","DOI":"10.1016\/j.encep.2014.03.003","article-title":"Impulsivity and externalization and internalization problems in adolescents","volume":"41","author":"Braham","year":"2015","journal-title":"Encephale"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"186","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2010.12.006","article-title":"Rumination as a Transdiagnostic Factor in Depression and Anxiety","volume":"49","author":"McLaughlin","year":"2011","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Ther."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"313","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2013.06.014","article-title":"The Relationship between Worry, Rumination, and Comorbidity: Evidence for Repetitive Negative Thinking as a Transdiagnostic Construct","volume":"151","author":"McEvoy","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1632","DOI":"10.1111\/jopy.12918","article-title":"Acting Impulsively When \u201cUpset\u201d: Examining Associations among Negative Urgency, Undifferentiated Negative Affect, and Impulsivity Using Momentary and Experimental Methods","volume":"92","author":"Racine","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Pers."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104551","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2024.104551","article-title":"Fluctuations in Emotion Regulation as a Mechanism Linking Stress and Internalizing Psychopathology among Adolescents: An Intensive Longitudinal Study","volume":"178","author":"Ohashi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Ther."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1053","DOI":"10.1016\/S0191-8869(00)00203-8","article-title":"Response Styles and Cognitive and Affective Symptoms of Depression","volume":"31","author":"Sakamoto","year":"2001","journal-title":"Personal. Individ. Differ."},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"15","article-title":"Una Misura Disposizionale Della Ruminazione Depressiva: La RRS Di Nolen-Hoeksema e Morrow","volume":"10","author":"Palmieri","year":"2007","journal-title":"Psychofenia Ric. Anal. Psicol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"768","DOI":"10.1002\/1097-4679(199511)51:6<768::AID-JCLP2270510607>3.0.CO;2-1","article-title":"Factor Structure of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale","volume":"51","author":"Patton","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"815","DOI":"10.1002\/jclp.1051","article-title":"Psychometric Properties of an Italian Version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) in Nonclinical Subjects","volume":"57","author":"Fossati","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1023\/B:JOBA.0000007455.08539.94","article-title":"Multidimensional Assessment of Emotion Regulation and Dysregulation: Development, Factor Structure, and Initial Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale","volume":"26","author":"Gratz","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"989","DOI":"10.1002\/jclp.21876","article-title":"Cultural Adaptation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: Reliability and Validity of an Italian Version","volume":"68","author":"Giromini","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"981","DOI":"10.1002\/1097-4679(197710)33:4<981::AID-JCLP2270330412>3.0.CO;2-0","article-title":"Confirmation of the Dimensional Structure of the Scl-90: A Study in Construct Validation","volume":"33","author":"Derogatis","year":"1977","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.1093\/biomet\/52.3-4.591","article-title":"An Analysis of Variance Test for Normality (Complete Samples)","volume":"52","author":"Shapiro","year":"1965","journal-title":"Biometrika"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1097\/00001648-199001000-00010","article-title":"No Adjustments Are Needed for Multiple Comparisons","volume":"1","author":"Rothman","year":"1990","journal-title":"Epidemiology"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rencher, A.C., and Christensen, W.F. (2012). Methods of Multivariate Analysis, John Wiley & Sons.","DOI":"10.1002\/9781118391686"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"894","DOI":"10.1080\/01621459.1974.10480224","article-title":"Comparative Robustness of Six Tests in Multivariate Analysis of Variance","volume":"69","author":"Olson","year":"1974","journal-title":"J. Am. Stat. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"289","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2517-6161.1995.tb02031.x","article-title":"Controlling the False Discovery Rate: A Practical and Powerful Approach to Multiple Testing","volume":"57","author":"Benjamini","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. R. Stat. Soc. Ser. B (Methodol.)"},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Evans, J.D. (1996). Straightforward Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, Thomson Brooks\/Cole Publishing Co."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kozubal, M., Szuster, A., and Wielgopolan, A. (2023). Emotional Regulation Strategies in Daily Life: The Intensity of Emotions and Regulation Choice. Front. Psychol., 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1218694"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"511","DOI":"10.1007\/s10608-023-10451-z","article-title":"Ruminative Variability Predicts Increases in Depression and Social Anxiety","volume":"48","author":"Bean","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cogn. Ther. Res."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Morgan, P.C., Wittenborn, A.K., Morlan, G.L., and Snyder, R. (2024). Emotion Regulation Difficulties as a Mediator Between Relationship Satisfaction Predicting Depressive Symptom Trajectories Among Couples in Couple Therapy. Behav. Sci., 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/bs14121215"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Owens, M., Renaud, J., and Healy, A.S. (2025). Reflection Rumination Reduces Negative Emotional Processing During Goal-Directed Behavior: An ERP Study. Behav. Sci., 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15081081"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1080\/16506073.2024.2369936","article-title":"Worry and Rumination as a Transdiagnostic Target in Young People: A Co-Produced Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","volume":"54","author":"Egan","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cogn. Behav. Ther."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5933","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-023-04792-x","article-title":"Transdiagnostic Factors in Symptoms of Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress: A Systematic Review","volume":"43","author":"Lommen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111608","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2024.111608","article-title":"Psychological Risk Factors of Somatic Symptom Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies","volume":"181","author":"Smakowski","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Psychosom. Res."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wong, S.M.Y., Chen, E.Y.H., Lee, M.C.Y., Suen, Y.N., and Hui, C.L.M. (2023). Rumination as a Transdiagnostic Phenomenon in the 21st Century: The Flow Model of Rumination. Brain Sci., 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci13071041"},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"29","article-title":"Rumination","volume":"9","author":"Sansone","year":"2012","journal-title":"Innov. Clin. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2467","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291716001392","article-title":"The Role of Rumination in Illness Trajectories in Youth: Linking Trans-Diagnostic Processes with Clinical Staging Models","volume":"46","author":"Grierson","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1186\/s40479-025-00313-3","article-title":"Psychological and Neurophysiological Measures of Emotion Dysregulation in Borderline Personality Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder","volume":"12","author":"Back","year":"2025","journal-title":"Borderline Personal. Disord. Emot. Dysregulation"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aprile, S.F., Valle, A.S., Cremona, I., and Grimaldi Di Terresena, L. (2025). Exploring the Interplay Between Mental Well-Being, Emotions, Quality of Life, and Personal Meaning Organization (PMO): A Network Analysis Study. J. Constr. Psychol., 1\u201315.","DOI":"10.1080\/10720537.2025.2596339"},{"key":"ref_38","first-page":"e240008","article-title":"Review of Emotion Regulation in Late Life Mood Disorders","volume":"9","author":"Patrick","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Psychiatr. Brain Sci."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6931","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-91646-0","article-title":"Anger and Emotion Regulation Strategies: A Meta-Analysis","volume":"15","author":"Pop","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"516","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpp.14126","article-title":"Annual Research Review: What Processes Are Dysregulated among Emotionally Dysregulated Youth?\u2014A Systematic Review","volume":"66","author":"Blader","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1177\/10731911211033900","article-title":"HiTOP Assessment of Externalizing Antagonism and Disinhibition","volume":"29","author":"Bornovalova","year":"2022","journal-title":"Assessment"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"280","DOI":"10.1017\/S1092852915000206","article-title":"Impulsivity and Aggression in Schizophrenia: A Neural Circuitry Perspective with Implications for Treatment","volume":"20","author":"Hoptman","year":"2015","journal-title":"CNS Spectr."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3572","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291724001752","article-title":"Impulsivity in First-Degree Relatives at Risk of Psychosis and Mania: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","volume":"54","author":"Nuerzati","year":"2024","journal-title":"Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1453","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)61602-X","article-title":"STROBE Initiative The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: Guidelines for Reporting Observational Studies","volume":"370","author":"Altman","year":"2007","journal-title":"Lancet"}],"container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-3425\/16\/6\/620\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,11]],"date-time":"2026-06-11T03:51:48Z","timestamp":1781149908000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-3425\/16\/6\/620"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]}},"alternative-id":["brainsci16060620"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/brainsci16060620","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-3425"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-3425","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]]}}}