Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Psychology, Clinical-Community
Date of Defense
6-4-2025
Graduate Advisor
Emily Gerstein, PhD
Committee
Steven Bruce, Ph.D.
Andresa De Souza, Ph.D.
Ryan Carpenter, Ph.D.
Abstract
Autistic youth experience disproportionately high rates and severity of emotion dysregulation, which is linked to behavioral challenges, psychiatric comorbidities, familial stress, and increased emergency service and hospitalization use. Despite its clinical significance, emotion dysregulation in autistic youth remains relatively understudied and misunderstood, partly due to the lack of standardized assessment tools and limited research on its heterogeneity within autistic populations. In the present study, structural equation modeling was used to 1) validate the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI) and assess measurement invariance in a diverse sample and 2) explore associations among emotion dysregulation, autism symptoms, and related child and family characteristics, and 3)identify unique profiles of emotion dysregulation and core autism symptoms, exploring their associations with treatment-relevant factors including behavior problems, parental and environmental stress, sleep, and feeding behaviors. Results supported the two-factor structure of the EDI and demonstrated measurement invariance across racial, ethnic, and linguistically diverse groups, confirming its utility as a robust and flexible tool. Additionally, latent profile analysis identified three distinct phenotypic subgroups with varying levels of emotion dysregulation and autism symptoms, which were meaningfully associated with key child and family characteristics, highlighting their relevance for intervention and support planning. This study advances the understanding of emotion dysregulation in autism and underscores the importance of individualized assessment and intervention approaches. Findings also emphasize the need for continued refinement of measurement tools and exploration of the mechanisms underlying emotion dysregulation in autistic youth. Ultimately, improving our ability to assess and characterize emotion dysregulation will support more personalized, equitable, and effective interventions for autistic individuals and their families.
Recommended Citation
Trevino, Monica S., "The Clinical Utility of Measuring Emotion Dysregulation in Autistic Youth" (2025). Dissertations. 1550.
https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/1550