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Cited by 44Resilience and Mental HealthAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesStudent Stress and Coping

Coping and emotion regulation: A conceptual and measurement scoping review.

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Trudel-Fitzgerald, Claudia, Boucher, Gabrielle, Morin, Clara, Mondragon, Pamela, Guimond, Anne-Josée, Nishimi, Kristen, Choi, Karmel W., Denckla, Christy·2024·Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne
DOI 10.1037/cap0000377PMC PMC11449430
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Abstract

The fields of coping and emotion regulation have mostly evolved separately over decades, although considerable overlap exists. Despite increasing efforts to unite them from a conceptual standpoint, it remains unclear whether conceptual similarities translate into their measurement. The main objective of this review was to summarize and compare self-reported measures of coping and emotion regulation strategies. The secondary objective was to examine whether other psychological measures (e.g., resilience) indirectly reflect regulatory strategies' effectiveness, thus representing additionally informative approaches. Results indicated substantial overlap between coping and emotion regulation measures. In both frameworks, two to eight individual strategies were usually captured, but only a third included ≤20 items. Most commonly evaluated strategies were reappraisal/reinterpretation, active coping/problem-solving, acceptance, avoidance, and suppression. Evidence also suggested psychological distress and well-being measures, especially in certain contexts like natural stress experiments, and resilience measures are possible indirect assessments of these regulatory strategies' effectiveness. These results are interpreted in the light of a broader, integrative affect regulation framework and a conceptual model connecting coping, emotion regulation, resilience, psychological well-being and psychological distress is introduced. We further discussed the importance of alignment between individuals, contexts, and strategies used, and provide directions for future research. Altogether, coping and emotion regulation measures meaningfully overlap. Joint consideration of both frameworks in future research would widen the repertoire of available measures and orient their selection based on other aspects like length or strategies covered, rather than the framework only.

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Authors
Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., Boucher, G., Morin, C., Mondragon, P., Guimond, A.-J., Nishimi, K., Choi, K. W., & Denckla, C.
Affiliations
  • Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (CA)
  • San Francisco VA Medical Center (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2024-08
Volume
65
Issue
3
Pages
149-162
ISSN
  • 0708-5591 (ISSN-L)
  • 1878-7304
DOI
10.1037/cap0000377
PMC
PMC11449430
OpenAlex
W4389453627
Cited by
44
References
20
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 5
FWCI
11.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Le dépôt institutionnel (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Fondation de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal
  • National Institutes of Health (R25-AT0106641)
  • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  • US Department of Veterans Affairs
  • San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K08MH127413, K23MH117278)
  • Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
Keywords
coping, emotion regulation, self-report measures, cognitive reappraisal, problem solving, acceptance, avoidance, emotional suppression, resilience, psychological well-being, psychological distress, conceptual overlap, measurement validity

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