Targeting Components of Distress Tolerance

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which aspects of distress intolerance (i.e., difficulties withstanding upsetting emotional states) are the most important for improving effective emotion regulation and associated mental health symptoms.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

How are willingness to feel upset and self-efficacy for withstanding distress associated with different emotion regulation strategies used in daily life?

Does targeting willingness to feel upset and/or self-efficacy for withstanding distress help people use more effective emotion regulation strategies in daily life when they feel upset?

Are improvements in emotion regulation strategies in daily life associated with fewer symptoms of mental health problems over time?

Participants will:

Answer questions about their moods, willingness to feel upset, self-efficacy for withstanding distress and emotion regulation strategies for three weeks using a cell phone app

Undergo a willingness, self-efficacy, combined or psychoeducational control intervention in the lab

Be prompted to use the intervention skill via the cell phone app during the second week, after the intervention

Complete weekly reports of mental health symptoms