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Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review.
Open accessAbstract
In this meta-analytic and narrative review, we examine several overarching issues related to the study of coping, emotion regulation, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms of psychopathology in childhood and adolescence, including the conceptualization and measurement of these constructs. We report a quantitative meta-analysis of 212 studies (N = 80,850 participants) that measured the associations between coping and emotion regulation with symptoms of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Within the meta-analysis we address the association of broad domains of coping and emotion regulation (e.g., total coping, emotion regulation), intermediate factors of coping and emotion regulation (e.g., primary control coping, secondary control coping), and specific coping and emotion regulation strategies (e.g., emotional expression, cognitive reappraisal) with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. For cross-sectional studies, which made up the majority of studies included, we examine 3 potential moderators: age, measure quality, and single versus multiple informants. Finally, we separately consider findings from longitudinal studies as these provide stronger tests of the effects. After accounting for publication bias, findings indicate that the broad domain of emotion regulation and adaptive coping and the factors of primary control coping and secondary control coping are related to lower levels of symptoms of psychopathology. Further, the domain of maladaptive coping, the factor of disengagement coping, and the strategies of emotional suppression, avoidance, and denial are related to higher levels of symptoms of psychopathology. Finally, we offer a critique of the current state of the field and outline an agenda for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record
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“Significant links are noted between maladaptive strategy use, reduced self-efficacy and increased depression and anxiety symptoms (Carthy et al., 2010; Compas et al., 2017; Ehring et al., 2010).”
From Outcomes From an Online Pilot Mindfulness Based Intervention with Adolescents: A Comparison by Categories of Risk. (2023) · cites this paper as Compas et al., 2017
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Preliminary evidence suggests those who employ a greater variety of adaptive coping strategies report reduced anxiety and depression, and increased psychological functioning and self-efficacy (Compas et al., 2017; Suhr et al., 2017).”
From Outcomes From an Online Pilot Mindfulness Based Intervention with Adolescents: A Comparison by Categories of Risk. (2023) · cites this paper as Compas et al., 2017
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“As confirmed in a recent meta-analysis of 212 studies (80,850 participants), avoidant coping strategies such as disengagement, emotional suppression, and denial were associated with concurrent and subsequent psychopathology (Compas et al. 2017).”
From Child Sexual Abuse as a Unique Risk Factor for the Development of Psychopathology: The Compounded Convergence of Mechanisms (2021) · cites this paper as Compas et al. 2017
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Emotion regulation is a well-established factor that is linked to behavioral health and mental health, including substance use and mood and anxiety disorders [24].”
From Effectiveness of the Botvin High School LifeSkills Training Intervention on Adolescent Substance Use: A Cluster Randomized Trial (2026) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“suppression and rumination have been positively associated (Aldao, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Schweizer, 2010; Compas et al., 2017; Hu et al., 2014; Prefit, Candea, & Szentagotai-Tatar, 2019; Seligowski, Lee, Bardeen, & Orcutt, 2015), and reappraisal has been negatively associated (Aldao et al., 2010; Hu et al., 2014; Prefit et al., 2019; but see Seligowski et al., 2015) with psychopathology.”
From Emotion regulation as mediator between childhood adversity and psychopathology: A meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as Compas et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“suppression and rumination have been positively associated (Aldao, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Schweizer, 2010; Compas et al., 2017; Hu et al., 2014; Prefit, Candea, & Szentagotai-Tatar, 2019; Seligowski, Lee, Bardeen, & Orcutt, 2015), and reappraisal has been negatively associated (Aldao et al., 2010; Hu et al., 2014; Prefit et al., 2019; but see Seligowski et al., 2015) with psychopathology.”
From Emotion regulation as mediator between childhood adversity and psychopathology: A meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as Compas et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“Broader measures of emotion regulation, such as difficulties (Prefit et al., 2019; Seligowski et al., 2015) and abilities (Compas et al., 2017), have also shown consistent associations with internalizing and externalizing symptoms.”
From Emotion regulation as mediator between childhood adversity and psychopathology: A meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as Compas et al., 2017
In the citing paper
“The relations between emotion regulation and psychopathology have also been consistently supported in meta-analyses.”
From Emotion regulation as mediator between childhood adversity and psychopathology: A meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as Compas et al., 2017
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Citations
Cites
Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test
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“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,…”
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“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.”
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“…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).”
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“Emotion dysregulation has been measured primarily with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004).”
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Flagged first, then by citations
6 of the 396 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 14
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СОРЕ-30A: Short Version of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire for 12-18 Years Old Teenagers
Odintsova, M., & Radchikova, N. (2024) · Psychological-Educational Studies · doi:10.17759/psyedu.2024160301 · Cited by 1
Mental Health Distress in Families During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Glover, C. S., Jiménez, A., Overton, D., & Ricketts, J. (2024) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968241266292 · Cited by 1
“Models of coping based on childhood and adolescence studies suggest that engagement and disengagement coping are the two main groups of coping strategies (Compas et al., 2017).”
Steeger, C. M., Combs, K. M., Racz, S. J., Brooks-Russell, A., Lain, M. A., Drewelow, K., Zaugg, S., Denker, H. K., & Hill, K. G. (2026) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2026.02.024
Metadata
- Authors
- Compas, B. E., Jaser, S. S., Bettis, A. H., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M. A., Dunbar, J. P., Williams, E., & Thigpen, J. C.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2017-09
- Volume
- 143
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 939-991
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- PMC
- PMC7310319
- OpenAlex
- W2626086283
- Cited by
- 1,555
- References
- 396
- Citations by year
- 2026: 300 · 2025: 273 · 2024: 215 · 2023: 181 · 2022: 173 · 2021: 169 · 2020: 135 · 2019: 69 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 6
- FWCI
- 10.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH100258 and T32 MH018921)
- National Cancer Institute (R01 CA118332)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DP3 DK097678)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Keywords
- coping, emotion regulation, child psychopathology, adolescent psychopathology, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, cognitive reappraisal, emotional expression, disengagement coping, emotional suppression, avoidance, denial, maladaptive coping, adaptive coping, informant effects, age differences
- MeSH terms
- Self-Control, Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Mental Disorders, Child, Emotions, Humans
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