ResearchPod Summary
Emotion regulation (ER) is a fundamental process in human development, and its disruption is increasingly linked to common mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. While the role of ER in adult psychopathology is well-documented, the effectiveness of interventions specifically designed to improve ER in children and adolescents has remained under-researched. This meta-analysis addresses this gap by synthesizing data from 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess how current psychological interventions influence emotion regulation and associated psychopathological symptoms in youth.
Following PRISMA guidelines, the authors screened over 1,200 records to identify high-quality studies assessing ER as an outcome in youth aged 6–24. The interventions targeted various conditions, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and eating disorders. The researchers distinguished between two primary outcomes: 'emotion dysregulation' (difficulties or maladaptive strategies like suppression and rumination) and 'emotion regulation' (adaptive skills like cognitive reappraisal and problem-solving). They utilized meta-regression and subgroup analyses to investigate factors such as intervention type, control group design, and participant age.
The meta-analysis found that current psychological interventions—most of which lean heavily on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) components—are effective for youth. Specifically, interventions led to a medium effect size (g = -0.46) in reducing emotion dysregulation and a small effect size (g = 0.36) in enhancing positive ER abilities. The authors also established a significant positive relationship between improvement in ER skills and reductions in psychopathological symptoms. Interestingly, studies using passive control groups (e.g., waitlists) tended to report larger effect sizes than those using active controls.
This study provides evidence that emotion regulation is a viable transdiagnostic target for clinical interventions in youth, offering a potential mechanism to address high rates of comorbidity. It underscores that while current therapies are beneficial, the field lacks sufficient large-sample studies and granular data on 'what works for whom.' The findings suggest that future clinical practice could be significantly strengthened by moving beyond disorder-specific treatments toward interventions that prioritize the development of flexible, adaptive emotional skills.
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