Key result
The instability coefficient Δ showed significant differences between chronic disease groups and healthy persons, and was significant in predicting emotion dysregulation and negative affect.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to analyze emotional mechanisms involved in chronic diseases by applying an interdisciplinary approach grounded in Chaos Theory and complex dynamic systems.
Cross-Sectional
An instability coefficient based on Chaos Theory can quantify emotional dysregulation and vulnerability, differentiating between various chronic diseases and healthy individuals.
Offers a novel, hypothesis-generating metric for quantifying emotional vulnerability in chronic disease; leaves open.
In the present work, we analyzed some emotional mechanisms (emotion dysregulation-ED, negative affect-NA, and emotional vulnerability) involved in chronic diseases by means of an interdisciplinary approach. We started from the conceptualization of emotions as a complex dynamic system that can be investigated and understood within a framework inspired by Chaos Theory. An "instability coefficient" Δ was computed to analyze ED mechanisms, NA, and emotional vulnerability in different disease groups (blood cancer, breast cancer, hypertension) as well as in healthy persons. This coefficient, recently defined by our group, computes the Euclidian distance between the pairs of vectors whose components are similar or reverted items of a test measuring ED. The emotional and somatic systems were considered as two complex dynamical systems in interaction. Due to this interaction, and as a result of the laws of complexity, a small perturbation in an inner state of the emotional system could generate an important reaction in the somatic system in time. The emotional vulnerability reflected by high values of Δ was associated with the chronic disease condition. The differences between illness groups and healthy persons, as well as between the three disease groups in Δ values, were analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences between the chronic disease groups in Δ values. The most highly significant differences in Δ values were reported between the breast cancer group and the healthy group on one hand and between the breast cancer group and the blood cancer group on the other hand. The less significant differences in Δ values were noticed between the hypertension group and the control group. Δ was significant in predicting ED and NA. Compared to the classical approaches, the original contribution of our research is that these results encourage us to propose this interdisciplinary method of assessment as a challenging, valid tool of investigation and understanding of complex phenomena that occur in the emotional and somatic system.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ciuluvică et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in Chronic diseases (blood cancer, breast cancer, hypertension). Chronic disease condition (blood cancer, breast cancer, hypertension) vs. Healthy persons was evaluated on Instability coefficient Δ values. The instability coefficient Δ showed significant differences between chronic disease groups and healthy persons, and was significant in predicting emotion dysregulation and negative affect.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: