Adolescents' Emotion Regulation in Daily Life: Links to Depressive Symptoms and Problem Behavior

TLDR

The study examined how emotion regulation relates to depressive symptoms and problem behavior in 152 adolescents aged 12–15. Emotion regulation and adjustment were measured via daily experience sampling of negative emotions and self‑report questionnaires over one week. Greater emotional intensity, lability, and ineffective regulation—especially disengagement or rumination—were associated with higher depressive symptoms and problem behavior.

Abstract

This study examined links between emotion regulation and adjustment in a sample of 152 adolescents in Grades 7 ( M age=12) and 10 ( M age=15). Emotion regulation was assessed using the experience sampling method, in which adolescents provided multiple reports about the intensity, lability, and strategies used to regulate negative emotions across 1 week. Adolescents also completed self‐report measures of adjustment. Adolescents who reported more intense and labile emotions and less effective regulation of these emotions also reported more depressive symptoms and problem behavior. Responding to negative emotions with disengagement (e.g., denial) or involuntary engagement (e.g., rumination) was less effective in regulating negative affect, and greater use of these strategies was related to higher levels of depressive symptoms and problem behavior.