Examining the Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem in the Relation Between Emotion Crafting and Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Relatively few studies within the emotion regulation literature have focused on the proactive aspect of emotion regulation and its role in psychopathology. Furthermore, little is known about the underlying mechanisms in this relation. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relation between emotion crafting (characterised by proactive behaviour aimed at generating positive emotions) and depressive symptoms, with global and contingent self-esteem as potential mediators. In total, 119 university students (M = 22.36, SD = 1.58, range 18 - 25; 82.35% female) completed online questionnaires concerning the study variables. Results indicated that emotion crafting and global self-esteem were significant predictors of depressive symptoms, while contingent self-esteem was not. Furthermore, higher emotion crafting was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms via higher levels of global self-esteem. These results add to the literature on the regulation of positive emotions, indicating that generating positive emotions may be one of the key processes in protecting individuals from ill-being, by enhancing their self-esteem.