The relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms in adolescents during high stress: The moderating role of emotion regulation

Introduction This study examined the moderating role of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation in the relationship between general perceived stress and depressive symptoms during the first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown in March-April 2020 in Belgium, while controlling for past depressive symptoms in 2016. Methods Participants were 110 adolescents (55% female; Mage = 16, SDage = 1.80) who filled out different questionnaires assessing maladaptive and adaptive emotion regulation strategies (ERS), perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. Results Results revealed that only maladaptive ERS statistically significantly moderated the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms. More specifically, the amount of perceived stress is positively associated with the level of depressive symptoms, especially in adolescents who use more maladaptive ERS. Conclusion The repertoire of adaptive ERS might not be sufficient for adolescents to flexibly cope with a highly stressful situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Study findings highlight the need to support youth, particularly those who use more maladaptive ERS, in adaptively coping with intense stressful life events.

Automated summary

This study examined the moderating role of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation in the relationship between general perceived stress and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown in Belgium. The results showed that maladaptive emotion regulation significantly moderated the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms, indicating the importance of supporting adolescents in adaptively coping with intense stressful events.