The relationship of emotional repression and self-control with symptoms

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between defense mechanisms and the state of physical and mental health. But there is research on the relationship between emotional suppression and self-control and symptoms of the disease.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between repression and self-control and the symptoms of disease and their distinctions.

The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this study was telegram users in fall 1396 who lived in Tehran. The sample was 250 participants (145 females and 105 males) that completed the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (1990), Bakerchr('39')s Emotional Processing Scale (2010), Tangney Self-Control (2004), and Bartonechr('39')s Symptom Checklist (1989) based on convenience sampling method. Data was analysis via Pierson correlation and multivariate regression.

The results showed that the symptoms of the disease are negatively related to Restraint, Repressive Defensiveness, and Self-Control, and positively correlated with Distress, Suppression, Unregulated Emotions, Impoverished Emotional Experience, Signs of Unprocessed Emotions, and avoidance (P<0.01). The three subscales of Impoverished Emotional Experience, Signs of Unprocessed Emotions, and Distress have the predictive power of disease symptoms (P< 0/01).

The results of this study confirmed the relationship between disturbance in emotional processing and symptoms of disease and the role of Repression and Self-Control were discussed with regard to their semantic structure. Positive correlation between restraint, defensiveness, self-control and symptoms of disease imply that it is impossible to discriminate repression and self-control merely based on self-report scales.