Romantic Breakup Distress in University Students: a Narrative Review
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Tiffany Field, IJPRR, 2020 3:30 Review Article IJPRR (2020) 3:30 International Journal of Psychological Research and Reviews (ISSN:2639-6041) Romantic breakup distress in university students: A narrative review Tiffany Field University of Miami School of Medicine; Fielding Graduate University ABSTRACT This narrative review of literature on romantic breakup distress *Correspondence to Author: and recovery includes studies on the effects of this distress, risk Tiffany Field and protective factors for breakup distress and interventions. The University of Miami School of Medi- effects include sadness, anger and broken heart syndrome. The cine; Fielding Graduate University risk factors for breakup distress include being the “dumpee” ver- sus the “dumper”, internet surveillance of the “dumper”, having been in a spiritual relationship, intrusive thoughts, an orientation How to cite this article: towards future relationships or a fear of being single, having the Tiffany Field. Romantic breakup relationship as part of your identity or your self-worth and experi- distress in university students: A encing social constraints like criticism. Protective factors include narrative review. International Jour- having been more committed to the relationship and then con- nal of Psychological Research and tinuing to experience closeness in that relationship but also hav- Reviews, 2020, 3:30 ing a rebound relationship. Effective interventions include a writ- ing task describing the breakup, online group discussions of the breakup and tryptophan for its serotonin-enhancing properties. Limitations of this literature include lack of generalizability from the mostly female university student samples and potentially bi- eSciPub LLC, Houston, TX USA. ased self-report data. Website: https://escipub.com/ Keywords: Rromantic breakup distress, university students IJPRR:https://escipub.com/international-journal-of-psychological-research-and-reviews/ 1 Tiffany Field, IJPRR, 2020 3:30 Romantic breakups occur in as many as two- having been in a spiritual relationship, intrusive thirds of university student samples and they thoughts, an orientation towards future frequently lead to breakup distress, depression, relationships or a fear of being single, having the anxiety and stress (Field, 2017). In 2015 a U.S. relationship as part of your identity or your self- university counselling center reported an worth and experiencing social constraints like increase of 131% in yearly visits and 173% in criticism. Protective factors include having been total yearly visits (Beiter, Nash, McCrady, more committed to the relationship and then Rhoades & Linscomb, 2015). This narrative continuing to experience closeness in that review involved a search of the literature from relationship, having a rebound relationship and the last 10 years on PubMed and PsycINFO for having greater insight. Predictors of slower the terms romantic breakup distress and recovery that have been studied in laboratory heartbreak. For the selection process, exclusion situations include the use of personal pronouns criteria included non-English papers, case in writing about the breakup and showing more studies, under-powered samples, and non-juried facial activity when thinking about the breakup. papers. Following these screening criteria, those Interventions that have been serendipitous selected papers are briefly reviewed here. Only include experiencing less breakup distress when statistically significant results are given. being in a classroom where relationships were more common and being in more research This review of recent literature on romantic assessments, as if participating in research is an breakup distress and recovery suggests that intervention in itself. Some designed very little research is being conducted on this interventions include writing about the breakup, topic. In addition, although researchers are still online group discussions on the breakup, and studying the effects of romantic breakups, they the effects of tryptophan for its serotonin- are more often examining risk and protective enhancing properties. Accordingly, this review is factors for breakup distress. The salient effects divided into different sections that reflect the of breakup distress continue to be sadness and literature including effects of romantic breakups, anger as well as a broken heart syndrome. risk factors for breakup distress, protective The risk factors for breakup distress have factors, interventions and limitations of the included being the “dumpee” versus the literature. “dumper”, internet surveillance of the “dumper”, Table 1. Effects of breakup distress and first author. Effect First author Sadness & anger Sbarra Sad facial expressions Heshmati Broken heart syndrome Field, Potu, Roshanzamir, Lacey, Ghadri Neural representations for breakup pain Kross, Woo Effects of Romantic Breakup Distress syndrome and immune dysfunction (see Field Earlier research on breakup distress focused on 2011 for a review). In one of the earliest studies the immediate effects of romantic breakups on breakup distress, for example, the high including depression, anger, broken heart breakup distress group had higher scores on IJPRR:https://escipub.com/international-journal-of-psychological-research-and-reviews/ 2 Tiffany Field, IJPRR, 2020 3:30 negative emotions scales including depression, expressions may be a less biased and more anxiety and anger and on negative behaviors objective measure of spontaneous emotions including poor academic performance (Field, than self-report (Heshmati, Sbarra, & Mason, Diego, Pelaez, Deeds, & Delgado, 2010). Fewer 2017). In this study, computer expression studies were found on immediate effects in the recognition software was used to record the recent literature, although researchers continue facial expressions (sadness, fear, anger, to focus on depression, anger and the broken contempt) of 135 recently separated university heart syndrome. And, in the recent literature, students while they responded to interview research appeared on mood states including questions about their thoughts and feelings sadness and anger, facial expressions that regarding their breakups. The authors expected reflect those states and continuing research on that anger and contempt would serve as the broken heart syndrome (see table 1 for a list distancing emotions and therefore would be of these effects and first authors). associated with less breakup distress than Mood States sadness and fear which might sustain a longing for the relationship and thus lead to greater In a breakup effects study on mood states, breakup distress. Surprisingly, they found that young adults completed a daily diary for one anger, sadness and fear were not predictors of month describing their feelings about romantic distress. Instead, contempt was associated with breakups (Sbarra & Ferrer, 2006). A dynamic less distress initially but with greater distress factor analysis revealed that love/longing, over the long-term. The authors interpreted sadness and anger were separate but correlated contempt as being an adaptive form of rejection mood states. Moderate correlations were noted of the other person but suggested that the between the love and sadness factors, continued feelings of contempt could be a suggesting emotional co-occurrence. To a marker of poor adjustment. lesser degree, sadness and anger were comorbid. This was expressed as sadness for Some limitations of this study include: 1) only the the loss of the relationship and anger attributed first minute of the breakup interview was to the partner who initiated the breakup. In their analyzed; 2) the study included three times as sequential analysis, sadness typically preceded many women as men and university students anger. This was particularly true for the good experiencing non-marital breakups which may adjustment versus the poor adjustment groups. not be generalizable to older adults or those in While the good adjustment group was divorces; 3) the study lasted only two months so experiencing sadness and anger, the poor the results did not reflect long-term outcomes; adjustment group was experiencing sadness and 4)the study did not include self-report without anger, suggesting that anger may help measures, so relationships between the facial sever the attachment. expressions and self-reported feelings could not be determined. Facial Expressions Broken Heart Syndrome Most of the research on breakup effects has been based on self-report (Field, 2011). Facial Broken heart syndrome has received increasing expressions have also been recorded and they attention across the last several years and has would be expected to be consistent with the been extensively reviewed (Potu, Raizada, negative emotions that have been self-reported. Gedela, & Stys, 2016; Roshanzamir & So, for example, photos of sadness would be Showkathali, 2013). This syndrome is reflected in an upturned mouth and furrowed characterized by left ventricular dysfunction and brow and a fearful face would feature widened accompanied by chest pain and T wave eyes and an open mouth. Some have argued inversion and is typically associated with that recording of behaviors such as facial emotional stress following loss or breakup IJPRR:https://escipub.com/international-journal-of-psychological-research-and-reviews/ 3 Tiffany Field, IJPRR, 2020 3:30 distress (Potu et al, 2016). Although broken Neural Representations for Breakup Pain heart syndrome mimics heart attack symptoms, A network of different regions of the brain