Investigating the Predictive Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Depression, Anxiety and Stress of Adolescents

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master of Cognitive Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies on the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by adolescents aged 15 to 18 in Mashhad.
Method: This study employed a descriptive and correlational design, targeting a population of students in Mashhad aged 15 to 18. A total of 800 participants were selected through cluster random sampling. The data collection tools included demographic information (age, gender, and educational level), the DASS-21 questionnaire, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-18). After administering the questionnaires to the target sample, data analysis was conducted in two phases: descriptive and inferential statistics. The simultaneous regression method was utilized to test the research hypotheses.
Results: The results of this analysis indicate that cognitive emotion regulation strategies significantly predict psychological distress (P < 0.001). Specifically, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies directly predict levels of depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by adolescents, while adaptive emotion regulation strategies play an inverse predictive role in determining these mental health outcomes within this age group.
Discussion: The results of this study indicate that the type of emotion regulation strategies—adaptive versus maladaptive—plays a significant role in predicting the experiences of depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescents. Therefore, implementing therapeutic methods and designing educational programs aimed at enhancing cognitive emotion regulation skills may be effective in reducing psychological distress among adolescents.

Keywords

References

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