Scaffold emotion regulation development in adolescence as a preventative target for psychopathology¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 review), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The review proposes that adolescence, as a period of heightened neural plasticity and emotional reactivity, may be an opportune window for interventions that build adaptive emotion regulation strategies before psychopathology emerges. It states that "Targeting this window of opportunity could have positive long-term consequences for mental health", framing ER development as a preventative target for internalising and externalising disorders. This follows from its argument that adolescence is a period of heightened learning and flexibility.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Interventions must be timed to adolescence when regulatory circuits are still developing and plastic

Constraints¶

• The review notes it is difficult to distinguish whether adolescent difficulties result from poor regulation, increased affective responses, or both

Target Learners¶

• adolescents aged approximately 10-19

Target Learning Goals¶

• developing adaptive emotion regulation strategies
• preventing onset of internalising and externalising psychopathology

Affordances¶

• Extended Process Model Emotion Regulation Stages

Claims¶

• Instructed reappraisal success improves with age across ages 10-23, following linear and quadratic trends [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Ahmed Saz P., Bittencourt-Hewitt Amanda, Sebastian Catherine L. (2015). Neurocognitive bases of emotion regulation development in adolescence. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6989808/