Emotion regulation as a mediator of the association between self-esteem and negative affect: Evidence from scar and vulnerability models.

The relation between negative affect and self-esteem has been extensively studied, yet consensus on their relation and the variables mediating this association remains elusive. The present study aimed to analyse the relations between self-esteem and negative affect, including depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, considering the role of emotional regulation. By using a path analysis in a cross-sectional sample of 140 young adults, predominantly women (80.7%) and mostly aged 18-25 years (67.9%), we explored whether the relations between self-esteem and negative affect better align with the vulnerability or the scar models, while also including sensitivity to either punishment or reward as antecedents of the models. Our findings showed that emotional regulation difficulties significantly mediated the associations between self-esteem and negative affect in both the scar and vulnerability models. Moreover, sensitivity to punishment (but not sensitivity to reward) was significantly associated with the outcome variables, with these associations partially mediated by emotional regulation. However, the cross-sectional design and relatively modest sample size hinder obtaining firm conclusions regarding causal inferences and formal comparison of the scar and vulnerability models. These findings suggest that sensitivity to punishment and emotion dysregulation may represent relevant transdiagnostic targets for psychological intervention and future research.