Specificities from stressors to psychological and biological adjustment outcomes in adolescence: an exploration of the moderating role of emotion regulation.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the role of emotion regulation (ER) as a moderator in the stressor - adjustment outcome relationship, while identifying the relevant stressors. METHODS: In 214 adolescents (10-18y; 51.4% boys), stressors (parent- and peer relations, negative events), psychological outcomes (adolescent perceived stress, psychopathology symptoms, negative affect) and biological measures related to the stress response (hair cortisol (HC), heart rate variability (HRV)) as well as ER strategies: maladaptive (MalER), adaptive (AdER), and their ratio (Mal/AdER), were measured and analysed via linear regression, adjusted for age, sex and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Parental rejection and bullying turned out as the strongest stressors towards psychological outcomes (beta in the range of: |.217-.352|, p<.05). Additionally, parental rejection was associated with HC (beta=.242, p=.035), while none of the stressors with HRV. MalER was linked to all, and AdER to most psychological outcomes (range of beta: |.21-.49|, p<0.05). MalER, but not AdER, was associated with HC (beta=.25, p=.009), whereas none of the ER strategy types were associated with HRV. Moreover, several associations between stressors and psychological outcomes were moderated by MalER and Mal/AdER, while AdER's role as a moderator was not confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirmed that adolescents' stressors are associated with both psychological and physiological outcomes and moderated by MalER or Mal/AdER. The lack of moderation by AdER directs towards the maladaptive shift theory. Investigations through a longitudinal, rather than a cross-sectional design, could further elucidate the current observations. Moreover, training in how to use ER effectively has a potential of increasing adolescents' stress resilience.