Interoception and emotion regulation following a sad mood induction

Background: Interoception is defined as the perception of internal bodily signals and has been related to the facilitation of individuals’ emotion regulation. However, the evidence is mixed, and important gaps remain to be clarified. This study aims to examine the role of different interoceptive dimensions in the efficacy of emotion regulation of negative mood in a non-clinical sample. Methods: A total of 117 participants (70.94% women; M_age = 36; SD_age = 17.80) completed several self-reported questionnaires and performed the heartbeat counting task. They then received a negative mood induction procedure, after which they were instructed to perform a spontaneous emotion regulation task. Mood was assessed before and after the induction and after the spontaneous task. Finally, the state difficulties in emotion regulation were also measured. Results: Mixed-effects models showed that interoceptive sensibility was related to better mood at all time points and to increased state emotional awareness. Moreover, a specific aspect of interoceptive sensibility (i.e., less worry about unpleasant bodily sensations) reduced the effect of the negative induction on positive affect. No significant effects on mood were observed for either interoceptive accuracy/insight or the interaction between interoception and the emotion regulation phase. Limitations: Causal relationships cannot be established due to the study design. Conclusions: We found no evidence that interoception helps in regulating negative emotional states. However, we did find an association with better general mood. We discuss our findings in light of previous empirical and theoretical work, suggesting future directions. The study protocol was preregistered at clinicaltrials.gov on 12th June 2022 (NCT05684614).