Children's Emotion Regulation and Social Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Emotion regulation is necessary for a child to adapt to and function well in the
environment. Problems in child emotion regulation have been linked with numerous
negative outcomes. This paper reviews the current literature linking child social anxiety,
generalized anxiety, and depression to emotion regulation. In addition, the relationship
between parent symptomatology and child emotion regulation is discussed. A mediated
model that examines the association between maternal social anxiety and the three
symptom clusters (i.e., social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depressive symptoms),
with child emotion regulation as a mediator, was tested. Contrary to the hypotheses, child
emotion regulation did not serve as a mediator between maternal social anxiety and child
internalizing symptoms. However, maternal social anxiety and sex predicted child social
anxiety, and !ability/negativity and ethnicity predicted depressive symptoms. Possible
explanations for these findings, suggestions for future research, and clinical implications
are also discussed.

Date of Award	2011
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Wesley Allan (Supervisor)