Emotion regulation training as a treatment element for externalizing problems in adolescence: A randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Externalizing problems in adolescence are a significant concern.
• Emotion regulation is a hypothesized mechanism underlying these problems.
• Intervention effectiveness hinges on identifying specific change-producing elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if emotion regulation training improves emotion regulation skills in adolescents.
• To determine if improved emotion regulation leads to reduced externalizing problems.
• To compare the effectiveness of cognitive versus behavioral emotion regulation approaches and their sequences.

Main Methods:

• A micro-trial randomized 108 adolescents with elevated externalizing problems.
• Participants were assigned to a control group or an experimental group receiving emotion regulation training (cognitive or behavioral approaches in alternated sequences).
• Assessments included pre- and post-module measures and weekly follow-ups.

Main Results:

• Experimental training positively affected self-reported adaptive emotion regulation strategies.
• Contrary to hypotheses, externalizing problems decreased more in the control group than the experimental group.
• No significant mediation, approach, or sequence effects were observed.

Conclusions:

• Improvements in a proposed mechanism (emotion regulation) do not automatically translate to reductions in targeted problems (externalizing behaviors).
• This underscores the critical importance of rigorously testing the direct impact of specific intervention components on clinical outcomes.
• Future research should focus on validating the causal link between treatment elements and desired problem reduction in adolescent mental health interventions.