3 - (SYM 55) Diversity Is Key: Influence of Emotion Regulation Strategy Use on Adolescent Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms over Time

Background: Anxiety and depression are associated with impaired emotion regulation (ER). Recently, a novel construct named ER diversity has been proposed that assesses the diversity in the use of ER strategies. High ER diversity, particularly under stressful circumstances, may be a transdiagnostic resilience factor for depression and anxiety. 

Methods: This study utilized a longitudinal, 8-year design to examine the association between ER diversity and depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents (N = 627), while accounting for life stress. Participants rated their use of ER strategies, experience of stressful life events, and dimensional symptoms of depression and anxiety in accordance with the tri-level model. The ER diversity index was computed along with the traditional ER sum score for comparison. 

Results: The ER diversity index was significantly associated with fear symptom trajectory, above and beyond the ER sum score. Specifically, higher ER diversity was associated with a greater decline in fear symptoms over time. Moreover, life stress influenced these associations. At low levels of chronic life stress, fear symptoms declined over time regardless of the ER diversity level. However, when chronic life stress was high, fear only declined when ER diversity was high.



Conclusions: These findings suggest that diversity in the use of ER strategies may be a transdiagnostic resilience factor in adolescents. Furthermore, ER diversity may be particularly important under stressful circumstances. If low ER diversity is found to consistently play a role in depression and anxiety, efforts to broaden ER diversity could be integrated in primary intervention programs for at-risk individuals to increase their resilience.