Positive emotion dysregulation among people of color: The role of exposure to discrimination and racial trauma.

Abstract

Objective: Because racial trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder share similar symptom presentations, it is important to investigate whether underlying mechanisms may be similar or different. Current research supports a relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and positive emotion dysregulation; however, it is unclear whether this relationship extends to racial trauma. The present study compared levels of positive emotion dysregulation among people of color (a) not exposed to perceived discrimination, (b) exposed to perceived discrimination without probable racial trauma, and (c) exposed to perceived discrimination with probable racial trauma.

Method: Participants were 148 undergraduate students of color who completed self-report measures: Racial Trauma Scale, Brief Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire-Community Version, Positive Emotion Dysregulation Scale (DERS-P), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form. A multivariate analysis of variance examined group differences across DERS-P subscales.

Results: Participants not exposed to perceived discrimination reported the lowest levels of positive emotion dysregulation, while participants exposed to perceived discrimination with probable racial trauma reported the highest levels. Significant group differences were found for the DERS-P Acceptance and Goals subscales. While there was a significant omnibus effect for the DERS-P Impulse subscale, post hoc comparisons did not reveal significant group differences.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that positive emotion dysregulation is implicated in racial trauma. Although similarities with posttraumatic stress disorder were observed, differences regarding impulsivity while experiencing positive emotions suggest possibly distinct underlying mechanisms. Our findings imply that regulation of positive emotions may be associated with lower levels of racial trauma symptoms and a possible therapeutic target when developing interventions for racial trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).