The Predictive Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies on Depressive and Psychosomatic Symptoms in Adolescents

Abstract

The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the predictive role of emotion regulation strategies on depression and psychosomatic symptoms in adolescents. The secondary purpose was to examine the predictive role of some demographic variables on depression and psychosomatic symptoms. The participants for this study comprised 319 high school students [G=155 (48.6%), B=164 (51.4%)], attending three high schools from 9th to 11th grade, and representing different socioeconomic levels in Diyarbakr city center. A Personal Data Form was used to gather data regarding demographic variables. The Turkish version the Children's Depression Inventory, Regulation of Emotions Questionnaire, and Psychosomatic Subscale of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were the instruments of the study. Standard regression analysis revealed that academic achievement and grade level were significant predictors of depressive symptoms, while academic achievement and gender variables had predictive power for psychosomatic symptoms. Moreover, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that all emotion regulation strategies played a predictive role in depression, while internal dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies and external dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies were significant predictors of psychosomatic symptoms. Taking into consideration that the research findings revealed that emotion regulation strategies played a predictive role on both depression and psychosomatic symptoms, assisting adolescents to develop functional emotion regulation strategies may improve the mental health quality of adolescents.