Longitudinal Examination of Emotion Regulation and Adolescent Anxiety: The Moderating Role of Family Functioning and Gender

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is a critical developmental stage during which many adolescents experience heightened anxiety symptoms. Emotion regulation (ER) is a crucial factor in the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms. Little research has examined whether contextual factors like family functioning (FF) moderate this relationship, or whether gender plays a moderating role. Instead, previous studies focused on interpersonal moderating factors or the direct role of gender on anxiety. The present longitudinal study investigated whether FF and gender moderate the association between ER and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Methods: Data were used from the TRacking Adolescent Individuals Lives Survey (Trails). The sample included 1818 adolescent at T3 (Mage = 16.3 (SD = 0.7); 52% female) and 1881 adolescents at T4 (Mage = 19.1 (SD = 0.6); 52% female). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, controlling for baseline anxiety (T3) and SES. Results: ER was negatively related with anxiety symptoms (H1 confirmed). Both FF and gender did not moderate this relationship (H2 and H3 not confirmed). However, poor FF did independently predict higher anxiety levels. Discussion: Findings highlights the importance of strengthening ER abilities and promoting good FF, through early, targeted interventions, especially among girls. Future research should explore more specific ER strategies and the potential moderating role of peer influence.