Disordered Personality Dimensions and Emotion Regulation Among Older Adults.

Disordered personality traits are frequently defined with respect to emotion dysregulation. However, research has needed to explore connections between disordered personality traits and emotion regulation strategies, particularly in older adulthood. The current study had older adult participants (n = 210; mean age: 66 years) complete measures of disordered personality traits, emotion regulation strategies, and difficulties in emotion regulation. Results demonstrated that disordered personality traits were more robustly associated with difficulties with emotion regulation relative to strategy use frequency. However, the five disordered traits exhibited distinct profiles of correlations with the regulation measures. Notably, detachment was largely unrelated to regulatory strategy use, whereas anankastia was similarly related to engagement and disengagement in emotion regulation.