Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review.

“Second, we calculated Egger’s tests to assist in the interpretation of the funnel plots, which is a statistical test used to detect funnel plot asymmetry (Egger et al., 1997).”

“The Compas et al. (2001) definition is linked to a control-based model of coping that includes primary control coping (i.e., efforts to directly act on the source of stress or one’s emotions, including problem solving and emotional expression), secondary control coping (i.e., efforts to adapt to the source of stress,…”

“Third, we conducted trim and fill analyses (Duval & Tweedie, 2000) to determine how many studies would need to be included above or below the meta-analytic mean to make the funnel plot symmetrical.”

“…paradigms that elicit negative emotions and instruct participants to use specific emotion regulation strategies to regulate the experience of negative emotion (e.g., Gross & John, 2003; Belden, Luby, Pagliaccio, & Barch, 2014; Belden, Pagliaccio, Murphy, Luby, & Barch, 2015; Webb et al., 2012).”

“Emotion dysregulation has been measured primarily with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004).”

“With increasing levels of psychopathology, capacity for emotion regulation and adaptive coping is reduced, while maladaptive coping increases [56], a pattern also observed in children and adolescents with a history of child maltreatment [57].”

“…(problems related to disruptive and Self-regulation in Childhood 9 aggressive behavior) and internalizing problems (emotional or psychological states related to depression, withdrawal, anxiety, loneliness, or suicidal thoughts) in children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years (Compas et al., 2017).”

“COVID-19 also directly affects other risk factors for depression, such as emotion regulation and coping (Gross & Jazaieri, 2014) and may interfere with many protective forms of responding, such as seeking of social support and use of problem-focused coping strategies (e.g., thinking of various ways to solve a problem,…”

“Affect is thus a superordinate concept that includes stress responses and emotions, as well as other phenomena such as impulses and mood (Compas et al. 2017, Epel et al. 2018, Gross 2015, Marroquin et al. 2017).”

“This is illustrated by the wide range of self-report measures used to assess emotion regulation, each capturing different aspects of this broad construct [17,18].”

“For example, there is conceptual and operational overlap between definitions of emotion regulation and coping with stress (Compas et al., 2014, 2017), so this related research could be drawn upon to identify specific other strategies that parents use to downregulate negative emotion (Skinner &…”

“[36,37] The medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens and serotonergic and dopaminergic inputs play a role in the physiology of various coping mechanisms.”

“, rumination, avoidance, suppression) resulting in more internalizing symptoms (Compas et al., 2017).”

“Specifically, we first created a list of conventional self-help-seeking search terms from mental health and positive psychology background literature [23-31]; we refined the list in discussions among our interdisciplinary research team, which includes intervention science researchers, health services researchers, phys…”

“For example, maladaptive coping, including avoidance, is associate with greater levels of psychopathology, whereas adaptive approach-oriented strategies, including PF coping, is associated with lower levels of psychopathology (Compas et al., 2017; Taylor & Stanton, 596 J. L. SHEFFLER ET AL.”

“Research concerning emotion regulation is one of the fastest growing areas in psychology [38], and emotion regulation is now widely understood to be a key protective factor supporting personal well-being [1, 18].”

“The result for adolescents is well in line with the literature (Fegert et al., 2020): Individuals with existing mental health problems are known to have limited coping skills and tend to overly use maladaptive emotions-regulation strategies (Compas et al., 2017).”

“…narrative and meta-analytic reviews conducted to date regarding associations between emotion regulation and psychological outcomes provide insight into how emotion-regulation processes have been measured in prior work (Aldao et al., 2010; Compas et al., 2017; Zimmer-Gembeck & Skinner, 2011).”

“The ability to cope with stressful events and regulate emotions can play an important role in the explanation of why some children develop psychopathological symptoms while others not (Compas et al., 2017).”

“In contrast, emotion regulation occurs in response to emotions (only), irrespective of the presence and nature of a specific stressor (Compas et al., 2017).”

“These criteria are consistent with those used in previous meta-analyses of a limited number of studies.(65,66)”

“…emotion regulation have been linked to maladaptive outcomes, including slower stress recovery and increased risk of experiencing common forms of psychopathology (Compas et al., 2017; Gratz et al., 2015), which dramatically increase in prevalence during adolescence (World Health Organization, 2005).”

“Fundamentally, engagement with a stressor and cognitive approaches have been aligned with better psychological adjustment; conversely, disengagement from a stressor and emotion-focused coping has been associated with poorer psychological adaptation (e.g., Compas et al., 2001; Compas et al., 2017).”

“Discussion Emotion dysregulation is a transdiagnostic factor, with maladaptive emotion regulation strategies showing an association with both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems (Aldao et al., 2010; Compas et al., 2017).”

“This may increase the risk for inattention, negative affect, irritability, and non-compliance, which are behavioral manifestations associated with child psychopathology, such as Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) (e.g., Campbell, Shaw, & Gilliom, 2000; Caspi, He…”

“The risk of developing anxious and depressive symptoms in persons with unrecognized and untreated emotional dysregulation is high, and this is often further complicated by substance abuse, addictive behaviors, and suicidal ideation and attempts, generating a vicious circle that will be hard to break [37,38].”

“Avoidance, as well as other disengagement strategies, in adolescents is associated with greater substance use (McConnell, Memetovic, & Richardson, 2014), more internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Compas et al., 2017; Cisler et al., 2010; Schäfer et al., 2017), and elevated aggression (Sontag & Graber, 2010).”

“…estimates (β) from multivariate analyses were first transformed to correlations using the following formula: r β λ= + .05 , where λ = 0 for a negative β and λ = 1 for a nonnegative β as recommended by Peterson and Brown (2005) and in line with other recent meta‐analyses (e.g., Compas et al., 2017).”

“In contrast, strategies reflecting adaptive emotional competence, such as problem-solving and identifying and seeking social support, predict relatively good functioning across childhood and adolescence in non-clinical samples (e.g. Aldao, Nolen-Hoeksema & Schweizer, 2010; Compas et al., 2017).”

“Evidence suggests that deficiencies in emotion regulation capabilities are linked to a spectrum of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems [3].”

“It is well-established that cognitive reappraisal is protective in the development of both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology [34].”

“Specifically, an extensive meta-analysis (Compas et al., 2017) of crosssectional studies on the association between ER processes and developmental PSY found that the adaptive domain of ERSs (e.”

“Coping has been described as a volitional process of action regulation under stressful events or circumstances that can directly influence achievement (e.g., Compas et al., 2017).”

“Adolescence is therefore a developmental stage with high risks in terms of psychological problems, subjective well-being, and adjustment [7,8].”

“The association between youth psychopathology symptoms and emotion regulation was confirmed in a recent meta-analytic study [3].”

“Emotion dysregulation has been implicated as a core feature or associated characteristic of nearly all psychiatric disorders, maladaptive behaviors, and persistent irritability (Aldao, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Schweizer, 2010; Compas et al., 2017; Leibenluft, 2011).”

“Although research has suggested that individuals high in distress may utilize more of all types of emotion regulation strategies (Compas et al., 2017), our work suggests that those high on negative urgency tend to utilize relatively more emotion regulation strategies that, in the long run, are likely to prolong their…”

“At the same time, adolescents and young adults with optimal coping skills process and handle stressful situations in more functional ways and are not affected by stressors to the same extent as those with lower levels of these skills (Compas et al., 2017; Lazarus, 1993; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).”

“Young children typically have not developed effective coping strategies and their restricted social connections limit the help they can acquire from others [36].”

“A recent meta-analysis documents associations of small to moderate effect sizes between emotion regulation and internalizing problems in children and adolescents (Compas et al., 2017).”

“…studies on longitudinal associations between emotion regulation and emotional outcomes are scarce compared to those on cross-sectional associations (Compas et al., 2017), but still maladaptive CERS, such as rumination, have shown stronger longitudinal associations with psychopathologies (e.g.…”

“…to the emergence and maintenance of internalising and externalising mental health difficulties in the general population (Aldao et al., 2010; Compas et al., 2017; Gross and Jazaieri, 2014; Sheppes et al., 2015), and growing evidence suggests that emotion regulation problems may also…”

“org psychopathology including both internalizing and externalizing issues (Heleniak et al., 2016; Compas et al., 2017).”

“…of stress and coping, emotion regulation has been described as a transdiagnostic risk for many disorders that are amenable to intervention efforts (Compas et al., 2017; Dryman & Heimberg, 2018), and it is possible that emotion dysregulation positively covaries with rejection sensitivity in…”

“While there is not yet enough longitudinal research to speak definitively about the direction of the relation between psychological distress and emotion regulation (Compas et al. 2017), there is theoretical and empirical suggestion that emotion regulation may be more proximal to parenting behaviors than psychopatholog…”

“…in youth, as well as most psychiatric conditions across the lifespan, including mood disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, and autism spectrum disorder (Aldao et al., 2016; Cai et al., 2018; Compas et al., 2017; Naragon-Gainey et al., 2017; Sheppes et al., 2015).”

“…demands perceived as taxing or exceeding a person’s resources (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Stanton, Kirk, Cameron, & DanoffBurg, 2000), coping processes are classified in a number of ways (Compas et al., 2017; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Roth & Cohen, 1986; Skinner, Edge, Altman, & Sherwood, 2003).”

“Successful ER has been linked to positive adjustment through the lifespan and promotes social and psychological functioning (reviewed in Compas et al., 2017; Zeman et al., 2006).”

“For example, the inability to effectively manage or regulate emotional responses to daily events can lead to stress, depression, or anxiety in youngsters [79–81], and vice versa [82,83].”

“There is considerable evidence that children’s coping behaviors can be protective, leading to better adjustment for children who experience a wide range of stressors (Compas et al., 2017).”

“Thus, the development and use of emotion regulation strategies is particularly needed to mitigate maladaptive responses to depressive symptoms during adolescence (Compas et al., 2017).”

“Similarly, dysregulation is a risk factor for mental health problems during unpredictable periods because it leads to a sense of uncontrollability (Compas et al., 2017).”

“Yet in the long-term, the use of avoidance to cope with stressors appears to confer risk for psychiatric symptoms, including substance misuse.(83) For example, children exposed to abuse are more likely to attempt to flee from stressors.”

“The absence of adaptive emotional control resources and the use of maladaptive strategies to cope with these emotional levels have been associated with the onset of emotional disorders in adolescence [14].”

“Disengagement strategies such as avoiding problems, interpersonal situations, and the emotions they trigger are, broadly speaking, the most common type of maladaptive coping associated with psychopathology (Aldao et al., 2010; Compas et al., 2017).”

“There is also increasing evidence within the literature to suggest that adequate and adaptive emotion regulation is associated with greater psychosocial functioning and overall well-being, and that dysfunctional patterns of emotion regulation (or “dysregulation”) are etiologically related with symptoms of a number of…”

“Adolescence plays a pivotal role in the development of learners’ emotional regulation abilities (Compas et al., 2017; H. H. Wang et al., 2023; J. Wang et al., 2021).”

“In addition, the omission of the item, “When I’m upset, I believe that I’ll end up feeling very depressed” may help disentangle emotion regulation from feelings of depression, thus reducing artificial overlap with measures of depression that have been observed (Compas et al., 2017).”