Exploring the relationship between somatizations, anxiety and emotional regulation. The mediating effect of maladaptive strategies

Emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression or somatization are the most frequent in the world’s population. In the specific case of anxiety and somatoform disorders, the incidence is 11% and 12%, respectively. The relationship between the two disorders has been extensively studied, showing the existence of a bidirectional relationship between them. However, the mechanisms that explain this interrelationship still require further study. The aim of the present work is to study the mediating role of adaptive and maladaptive cognitive strategies of emotional regulation in the relationship between anxiety and somatic symptoms. For this purpose, a sample of 1,730 Spanish participants was used. The sample was collected through online surveys within a cross-sectional observational design. In order to analyze the data collected, correlational analyses of the variables involved, as well as three multivariate mediation models between anxiety symptoms (generalized anxiety, cognitive-affective anxiety or somatic anxiety), adaptive and maladaptive cognitive strategies of emotional regulation, and somatic symptoms are proposed. Results show that maladaptive emotional regulation strategies play a mediating role only between somatic-type anxiety and somatic symptoms, whereas this effect was not observed between generalized anxiety and cognitive anxiety symptoms. Clinical implications for addressing anxiety disorders and somatization are discussed.