The development of emotion regulation strategies and their relationships with psychological wellbeing: A long-term follow-up study

The construct of emotion regulation (ER), defined as the process through which individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them, is increasingly being seen to play a central role in mental health. Although ER research has been conducted with adults, research with children and adolescents is almost non-existent. We aim to investigate the role of ER in child and adolescent mental health. By following up an already recruited sample of 1,400 9 to 15 year-olds into early adulthood, we propose to longitudinally investigate ER development and its role in mental health. Findings will have important implications for mental health promotion efforts.