Emotion Regulation Strategies in Children and Adolescents
Summary
Emotion regulation encompasses the processes by which young people influence their emotional experiences, expressions and timing. In early childhood, regulation is largely behavioural and relies on caregiver support through distraction, soothing and co-regulation. With maturation of executive networks, children progressively adopt cognitive strategies—such as reappraisal, problem-solving and mindfulness—to modulate emotional intensity. During adolescence, a broader repertoire emerges, including expressive suppression, rumination, interpersonal regulation with peers and digital coping. Adaptive strategies, notably cognitive reappraisal and seeking social support, are linked with resilience, academic engagement and lower rates of internalising and externalising difficulties. By contrast, reliance on maladaptive strategies—such as rumination, suppression or avoidance—correlates with heightened risk of anxiety, depression and behavioural problems. Neurodevelopmental refinements in prefrontal–amygdala circuitry during adolescence both enhance self-regulatory capacity and introduce a window of vulnerability. Globally, emotion regulation is recognised as a transdiagnostic process that underlies diverse psychopathologies. Practical applications span school-based curricula, family-centred programmes and digital health interventions, all aiming to tailor strategies to developmental stage, cultural context and individual risk profiles.
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Emotion Regulation Strategies in Children and Adolescents publication trend
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Technical terms
Cognitive reappraisal: Reinterpreting an emotion-eliciting situation to alter its emotional impact.
Expressive suppression: Inhibiting outward signs of inner emotional states.
Interpersonal emotion regulation: Using social interactions to modulate one’s own emotions.
Transdiagnostic process: A factor relevant across multiple psychological disorders.
References
- Systematic Observation of Emotional Regulation in the School Classroom: A Contribution to the Mental Health of New Generations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023).
- The role peer responses to adolescent expression of emotions plays in their emotion regulation: A systematic literature review. Mental Health & Prevention (2023).
- Effect of Psychosocial Interventions on Children and Youth Emotion Regulation: A Meta-Analysis. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research (2024).
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