Emotion regulation in adolescence: development and influences on emotional well-being

The issue of emotion regulation (ER) is of great interest to researchers and clinicians seeking to understand individual differences in the development of emotional well-being. Adolescence is a developmental period of special interest as regards ER processes in that it is characterised by crucial physical, psychological and social transformations, many of which elicit experiences of emotional arousal, and by an increase various forms of psychopathology (e.g. affective and behavioral disorders). However, very few studies have investigated ER processes in adolescence. The present study (founded by CARIPARO foundation) aimed to explore extent of adolescents' use of the ER strategies of reappraisal (ER_R, an antecedent-focused emotion regulation) and suppression (ER_S, a response-focused emotion regulation), and test whether ER strategies are related to various aspects of their well-being - the relevant literature on adults shows that ER_R is generally more effective than ER_S, e.g., in effective monitoring of physiological experiences and expression of emotions. Method. 378 (239 female) high-school students, 14 to 20 year-olds (M = 17,2, SD = 1,5) participated in the study. ER_R and ER_S were measured with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003). Participants' psychological and emotional well-being were assessed with scales measuring subjective perception of health, life satisfaction, positive and negative felt emotions, emotional and social loneliness, alexithymia and 'surface acting', i.e. the regulation of emotional expression. Results. Adolescents, like adults, were found to use ER_R much more than ER_S; however, reliance on ER_R decreased somewhat with age. Analyses of the relationship between well-being and ER showed that a greater reliance on ER_R, and, conversely, a lesser use of ER_S, was associated with better health and greater life satisfaction. Moreover, a greater use of ER_S was associated to higher levels of negative emotions, emotional and social loneliness, alexithymia, and surface acting, and to lower levels of positive emotions. Conclusion - The results of the study show that ER strategies have a high impact on emotional well-being during adolescence and suggest that a better understanding of emotion regulation processes and preferences in adolescence may help us understand individual differences in mental health and adjustment during this poyentially-high-risk developmental period.