Associations between Behavioral, Emotional, Cognitive Self-Regulation and Adolescent Mental Health and Psychosocial Strengths

  • Anowra Khan National University of Science and Technology
  • Tamkeen Ashraf Malik Department of Behavioral Sciences, School of Social Sciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Alina Morawska . Parenting and Family Support Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Keywords: Emotion Regulation, Behavior Regulation, Cognitive Regulation, Psychosocial Strengths, Mental Health

Abstract

Background. Self-regulation is an essential developmental asset during adolescence related to the prevention and promotion of mental health. This research aimed to analyze how various domains of self-regulation (behavioral, emotional and cognitive) were associated with mental health (internalizing and externalizing problems) and psychosocial strengths (interpersonal strengths, intrapersonal strengths and family involvement) among adolescents. A secondary aim was to analyze gender differences in these effects and in self-regulation. 

Method. A cross-sectional survey research design was used to collect data from 373 adolescents (age range = 10 – 18 years; 188 boys, 215 girls) through a convenient sampling technique from the five provinces of Pakistan. Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF-2), Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ), and Behavior and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2) were used to measure the study variables.

Results. Results indicated that ineffective behavioral, emotional, and cognitive regulation were significant predictors of externalizing problems while ineffective emotional and cognitive regulation significantly predicted internalizing problems. Ineffective behavioral and cognitive regulation significantly negatively predicted interpersonal strengths. Only cognitive regulation appeared as a significant predictor for intrapersonal strengths and family involvement. Multigroup analyses revealed no significant gender differences.

Conclusion. The findings highlight the differential relationship of self-regulation with mental health and psychosocial strengths which can inform practices in the prevention and promotion of mental health in adolescents.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bowers, E. P., Gestsdottir, S., Geldhof, G. J., Nikitin, J., von Eye, A., & Lerner, R. M. (2011). Developmental trajectories of intentional self regulation in adolescence: The role of parenting and implications for positive and problematic outcomes among diverse youth. Journal of Adolescence, 34(6), 1193–1206. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.adolescence.2011.07.006
Buckley, J. A., & Epstein, M. H. (2004). The Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale-2 (BERS-2): Providing a Comprehensive Approach to Strength-Based Assessment. The California School Psychologist, 9(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03340904
de Ridder, D. T. D., Lensvelt-Mulders, G., Finkenauer, C., Stok, F. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (2012). Taking stock of self-control: A meta-analysis of how trait self-control relates to a wide range of behaviors. Personality and Social Psychology Review,16(1), 76–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868311418749
Eisenberg, N., Hernández, M. M., & Spinrad, T. L. (2017). The Relation of Self-Regulation to Children’s Externalizing and Internalizing Problems. In C. A. Essau, S. LeBlanc, & T. H. Ollendick (Eds.), Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents (1st ed., pp. 18–42). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/ MED: PSYCH/9780198765844.003.0002
Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., & Eggum, N. D. (2010). Emotion-related self-regulation and its relation to children’s maladjustment. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 495–525. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131208
Ford, B. Q., & Mauss, I. B. (2015). Culture and emotion regulation. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.004
Genugten, L. van, Dusseldorp, E., Massey, E. K., & Empelen, P. van. (2016). Effective self-regulation change techniques to promote mental wellbeing among adolescents: a meta-analysis.Health Psychology Review,11(1), 53–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 17437199.2016.1252934
Gerard, A. G., & Peter, K. I. (2013). (BRIEF) Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function Professional Manual. PARS. https://www.wpspublish.com/brief-behavior-rating-inventory-of-executive-function
Gestsdottir, S., & Lerner, R. M. (2008). Positive development in adolescence: The development and role of intentional self-regulation. Human Development, 51(3), 202–224. https://doi.org/10.1159/000135757
Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., & Bailey, V. (1998). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 7(3), 125–130. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9826298
Hagler, M., Grych, J. H., Banyard, V., & Hamby, S. (2016). The ups and downs of self-regulation: Tracing the patterns of regulatory abilities from adolescence to middle adulthood in a rural sample. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 40(3–4), 164–179. https://doi.org/10.1037/RMH0000053
Hassan, B., Vignoles, V. L., & Schwartz, S. J. (2018). Reconciling Social Norms With Personal Interests: Indigenous Styles of Identity Formation Among Pakistani Youth. Emerging Adulthood,7(3), 194–207. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696817754004

Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593–602. https://doi.org/10.1001/ARCHPSYC
Khalid, M. A. (2021). Assessment of Gender-Role Attitudes among People of Pakistan. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9(12), 338–350. https://doi.org/10.4236/ JSS.2021.912023
Lawler, J. M., Pitzen, J., Aho, K. M., Ip, K. I., Liu, Y., Hruschak, J. L., Muzik, M., Rosenblum, K. L., & Fitzgerald, K. D. (2022). Self-regulation and Psychopathology in Young Children. Child Psychiatry and Human Development. Advance online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-022-01322-x
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Murry, V. M. B., Smith, E. P., Bowers, E. P., Geldhof, G. J., & Buckingham, M. H. (2021). Positive Youth Development in 2020: Theory, Research, Programs, and the Promotion of Social Justice. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31(4), 1114–1134. https://doi.org/10.1111/JORA.12609
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V, Bowers, E. P., Lewin-Bizan, S., Gestsdottir, S., & Urban, J. B. (2011). Self-regulation processes and thriving in childhood and adolescence: A view of the issues. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2011(133), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd
Li, J. Bin, Willems, Y. E., Stok, F. M., Deković, M., Bartels, M., & Finkenauer, C. (2019). Parenting and Self-Control Across Early to Late Adolescence: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(6), 967–1005. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619863046
Loevaas, M. E. S., Sund, A. M., Patras, J., Martinsen, K., Hjemdal, O., Neumer, S.-P., Holen, S., & Reinfjell, T. (2018). Emotion regulation and its relation to symptoms of anxiety and depression in children aged 8–12 years: does parental gender play a differentiating role? BMC Psychology,6(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/S40359-018-0255-Y
McClelland, M. M., & Wanless, S. B. (2015). Introduction to the Special Issue: Self-Regulation Across Different Cultural Contexts. Early Education and Development, 26(5–6), 609–614. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2015.1039436
McNaughton, S., Rosedale, N., Zhu, T., Siryj, J., Oldehaver, J., Teng, S. L., Williamson, R., & Jesson, R. (2022). Relationships between self-regulation, social skills and writing achievement in digital schools. Reading and Writing, 35,1201-1219. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11145-021-10232-8
Merikangas, K. R., He, J. P., Burstein, M., Swanson, S. A., Avenevoli, S., Cui, L., Benjet, C., Georgiades, K., & Swendsen, J. (2010). Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication--Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(10), 980–989. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JAAC.2010.05.017
Miller, A. L., Gearhardt, A. N., Fredericks, E. M., Katz, B., Shapiro, L. F., Holden, K., Kaciroti, N., Gonzalez, R., Hunter, C., & Lumeng, J. C. (2018). Targeting self-regulation to promote health behaviors in children. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 101, 71–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.09.008
Moilanen, K. L. (2007). The adolescent Self-Regulatory inventory: The development and validation of a questionnaire of short-Term and long-term self-Regulation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36(6), 835–848. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9107-9
Moran, T. P. (2016). Anxiety and working memory capacity: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 142(8), 831–864. https://doi.org/10.1037/ BUL0000051
Murphy, B. C., Shepard, S. A., Eisenberg, N., & Fabes, R. A. (2004). Concurrent and Across Time Prediction of Young Adolescents’ Social Functioning: The Role of Emotionality and Regulation. Social Development, 13(1), 56–86. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/ j.1467-9507.2004.00257.x
Murray, D. W., & Rosanbalm, K. (2017). Promoting Self-Regulation in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Practice Brief. OPRE Report 2015-82. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/resource/self-regulation-and-toxic-stress-foundations-for-
Naveed, S., Waqas, A., Shah, Z., Ahmad, W., Wasim, M., Rasheed, J., & Afzaal, T. (2020). Trends in Bullying and Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties Among Pakistani Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Seven Cities. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, Article 976. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYT.2019.00976/BIBTEX
Perry, N. B., Calkins, S. D., Dollar, J. M., Keane, S. P., & Shanahan, L. (2018). Self-regulation as a Predictor of Patterns of Change in Externalizing Behaviors from Infancy to Adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 30(2), 497-510. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579417000992
Rademacher, A., & Koglin, U. (2019). The concept of self-regulation and preschoolers’ social-emotional development: a systematic review. Early Child Development and Care, 189(14), 2299–2317. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2018.1450251
Robson, D. A., Allen, M. S., & Howard, S. J. (2020). Self-Regulation in Childhood as a Predictor of Future Outcomes: A Meta-Analytic Review. Psychological Bulletin, 146(4), 324–354. https://doi.org/10.1037/BUL0000227
Romppanen, E., Korhonen, M., Salmelin, R. K., Puura, K., & Luoma, I. (2021). The significance of adolescent social competence for mental health in young adulthood. Mental Health & Prevention, 21, Article 200198. https://doi.org/10.1016/ J.MHP.2021.200198
Sackl-Pammer, P., Jahn, R., Özlü-Erkilic, Z., Pollak, E., Ohmann, S., Schwarzenberg, J., Plener, P., & Akkaya-Kalayci, T. (2019). Social anxiety disorder and emotion regulation problems in adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health ,13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/S13034-019-0297-9
Sanchis-Sanchis, A., Grau, M. D., Moliner, A.-R., & Morales-Murillo, C. P. (2020). Effects of Age and Gender in Emotion Regulation of Children and Adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 946. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2020.00946
Sanders, M. R., & Mazzucchelli, T. G. (2013). The promotion of self-regulation through parenting interventions. Journal of Cinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 16, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-013-0129-z
Schmitt, S. A., Finders, J. K., Duncan, R. J., Korucu, I., Bryant, L. M., Purpura, D. J., & Elicker, J. G. (2021). Examining Transactional Relations Between Behavioral Self-Regulation and Social-Emotional Functioning During the Transition to Kindergarten. Developmental Psychology, 57(12), 2093–2105. https://doi.org/10.1037/DEV0001266
Shulman, Elizabeth, P., Harden, K, P., Chein, Jason, M., & Steinberg, L. (2015). Sex differences in the developmental trajectories of impulse control and sensation-seeking from early adolescence to early adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10964-014-0116-9
Syed, E. U., Hussein, S. A., Azam, S. I., & Khan, A. G. (2009). Comparison of Urdu version of Strengths and Difculties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL) amongst primary school children in Karachi. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, 19(6), 375–379. https://doi.org/06.2009/JCPSP.375379
Tangney, J. P., Boone, A. L., & Baumeister, R. F. (2018). High self-control predicts good adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Self-Regulation and Self-Control (1st ed., pp. 173–212). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315175775
te Brinke, L. W., Menting, A. T. A., Schuiringa, H. D., Zeman, J., & Deković, M. (2021). The structure of emotion regulation strategies in adolescence: Differential links to internalizing and externalizing problems. Social Development, 30(2), 536–553. https://doi.org/10.1111/SODE.12496
Tetering, M. A. J. van, Laan, A. M. van der, Kogel, C. H. de, Groot, R. H. M. de, & Jolles, J. (2020). Sex differences in self-regulation in early, middle and late adolescence: A large-scale cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/ JOURNAL.PONE.0227607
Tice, D. M., Bratslavsky, E., & Baumeister, R. F. (2018). Emotional distress regulation takes precedence over impulse control. In R. F. Baumeister (Ed.), Self-Regulation and Self-Control (1st ed., pp. 267–298). Routledge. https://doi.org/ 10.4324/ 9781315175775
Vugteveen, J., de Bildt, A., Theunissen, M., Reijneveld, M., & Timmerman, M. (2021). Validity Aspects of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Adolescent Self-Report and Parent-Report Versions Among Dutch Adolescents. Assessment, 28(2), 601–616. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191119858416
White, B. A., Jarrett, M. A., & Ollendick, T. H. (2013). Self-regulation deficits explain the link between reactive aggression and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in children. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 35(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10862-012-9310-9/TABLES/3
World Health Organization. (2010). Process of translation and adaptation of instruments. WHO; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/substance_abuse/ research_tools/translation/en/
Young, K. S., Sandman, C. F., & Craske, M. G. (2019). Positive and Negative Emotion Regulation in Adolescence: Links to Anxiety and Depression. Brain Sciences, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/BRAINSCI9040076
Zafar, H., Debowska, A., & Boduszek, D. (2021). Emotion regulation difficulties and psychopathology among Pakistani adolescents. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26(1), 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104520969765
Zimmerman, J. B. (2005). Self Regulation: A social Cognitive Perspective. In M. Boekaerts, R. Pintrich, Paul, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self Regulation (pp. 44–65). Academic Press.
Published
2023-07-31