Exploring the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulatin in the relationship between maladaptive daydreaming and personality beliefs

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between maladaptive daydreaming and dysfunctional personality beliefs, and to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties in this relationship. Additionally, the study sought to identify which subdimension of emotion regulation difficulties (awareness, goals, impulse, strategies, and nonacceptance) exerted the strongest mediating effect. To this end, a sample of 287 participants completed the Demographic Information Form, the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale–Short Form, and the Personality Belief Questionnaire–Short Form. Correlational analyses, simple mediation analyses, and multiple parallel mediation analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results indicated a significant positive relationship between all personality beliefs and maladaptive daydreaming. Furthermore, emotion regulation difficulties were found to fully mediate the relationship between schizoid personality belief and maladaptive daydreaming, and partially mediate the relationship between avoidant, dependent, passive-aggressive, obsessive-compulsive, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, paranoid, and borderline personality beliefs and maladaptive daydreaming. Importantly, among the subdimensions of emotion regulation difficulties, only difficulties in impulse control demonstrated a significant mediating effect. These findings suggest that maladaptive daydreaming is associated with personality-specific beliefs and experiences, and that deficits in emotion regulation, particularly in impulse control, play a critical role in its development. The results are discussed in light of the existing literature.