De mediërende rol van emotieregulatieproblemen in de relatie tussen conflicten met ouders en depressieve symptomen bij adolescenten

Abstract

During adolescence, parent-child conflicts are linked to emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) and depressive symptoms. These conflicts can lead to ERD in adolescents, which are also associated with depressive symptoms. The present study aims to investigate the mediating role of two ERD (strategies and non-acceptance) in the relationship between parent-child conflicts and depressive symptoms in adolescents. This study utilizes existing data from two samples from the ongoing longitudinal RADAR-Y study, namely a ‘risk native’ group (n = 147) exhibiting an elevated risk of developmental problems, and a ‘control native’ group (n = 254) representing an average risk. Adolescents from the ‘risk native’ group reported significantly higher scores of depressive symptoms and conflict with their fathers. In both groups, there were significant positive relationships between conflict, ERD, and depressive symptoms. In the ‘risk native’ group, strategies partially mediated the relationship between parent-child conflicts and depressive symptoms. In the ‘control native’ group, both strategies and non-acceptance mediated the relationship between parent-child conflicts and depressive symptoms. Father-child and mother-child conflicts are associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents in a similar way. Additionally, the relationship between parent-child conflicts and depressive symptoms in adolescents is partially explained by ERD. Specifically, the effect appears to be strongest for ERD related to limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies. These findings suggest that interventions during adolescence, focused on supporting the development of adaptive emotion regulation strategies, may be effective in preventing depressive symptoms in adolescents.