Cognitive reappraisal was associated with lower stress and anxiety and better quality of life, whereas expressive suppression related to higher anxiety and poorer psychological quality of life.
Cross-Sectional (n=101)
Cognitive reappraisal is associated with lower stress and anxiety and better quality of life in young adults, highlighting its potential as a beneficial emotion regulation strategy.
Difficulties regulating emotions and physiological arousal can heighten stress and anxiety in young adults, lowering quality of life (QoL). This pre-registered study examined whether maladaptive emotion regulation (e.g. expressive suppression) relates to greater emotional and arousal dysregulation (e.g. reduced heart rate variability, HRV) and poorer QoL. 101 young adults (21.1 ± 1.9 years; 73.3% female) in Malaysia completed questionnaires on emotion regulation, stress, anxiety, and QoL, while heart rate was recorded at rest and during exposure to emotion-inducing stimuli. Bootstrapped correlation and mediation analyses revealed that greater emotional dysregulation was associated with lower use of cognitive reappraisal, higher stress/anxiety, and poorer QoL. Cognitive reappraisal related to lower stress/anxiety and better QoL, whereas expressive suppression related to higher anxiety and poorer psychological QoL. Among frequent reappraisers, reduced stress and anxiety predicted better QoL. Promoting cognitive reappraisal may improve wellbeing and help young people cope with emotional challenges.
Chang et al. (Mon,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy young adults (n=101). Emotion regulation strategies was evaluated on Quality of life, stress, and anxiety. Cognitive reappraisal was associated with lower stress and anxiety and better quality of life, whereas expressive suppression related to higher anxiety and poorer psychological quality of life.