Reappraisal and Health: How Habitual Reappraisal and Reappraisal Ability Interact to Protect Against Life Stress in Young Adults

Inadequate emotion regulation may underlie the development of psychopathology as well as worsened physical health, particularly in the context of life stress. Cognitive reappraisal is typically considered an adaptive strategy to manage negative emotions. However, the extent to which reappraisal is beneficial may hinge upon contextual and individual differences. Specifically, it is unclear whether and how the ability to reappraise effectively (i.e., reappraisal ability) and exposure to stressful life events moderate the association between habitual reappraisal and health. Using a series of questionnaires and an experimental task designed to measure the ability to effectively down-regulate sad emotions using reappraisal, the present study examined the interactive effects of habitual reappraisal, reappraisal ability, and exposure to stressful life events on depressive and anxiety symptoms as well as self-reported physical health in 400 young adults (62.5% women; mean age = 19.8 +/- 2.5). Results indicated that habitual reappraisal may protect against elevated depressive symptoms and worsened self-reported physical health for people exposed to more stressful life events. Moreover, reappraising often appeared to be particularly beneficial for those who were less effective in their attempts. Results for anxiety symptoms were not significant, although habitual reappraisal remained significantly associated with anxiety symptoms as a lower-order term. These findings provide novel contributions to the field of emotion regulation and health by clarifying that exposure to stressful life events is a key moderator in the association between reappraisal and some areas of health and by elucidating the important roles of both habitual reappraisal and reappraisal ability.

Automated summary

Inadequate emotion regulation can lead to the development of psychopathology and worsened physical health. Cognitive reappraisal is considered an adaptive strategy to manage negative emotions, but its effectiveness depends on contextual and individual differences. The interactive effects of habitual reappraisal, reappraisal ability, and exposure to stressful life events on mental health were examined. Habitual reappraisal may protect against elevated depressive symptoms and worsened physical health for individuals facing more stressful life events.