Research Review: Emotion regulation in individuals with intellectual disability - an integrative review

Across diverse populations, there is growing evidence that emotion regulation is central to healthy adaptation. Much is known about emotion regulation processes in typically developing populations, but comparatively very little is known about how these processes unfold in individuals with intellectual disability.

This integrative review advances understanding of emotion regulation in intellectual disability within a clinical framework. We first synthesize research on affective and behavioral functioning across the heterogeneous intellectual disability population. We then apply the process model of emotion regulation to examine how differences in cognition, language, and executive functioning shape regulation capacities. Particular attention is given to the distinction between self-focused strategies used by individuals to regulate their own emotions, and other-focused, interpersonal strategies (i.e. caregiver-mediated support), which may play a particularly critical role for individuals with intellectual disability across the lifespan. Finally, we discuss implications for clinical practice, including interventions for promoting healthy emotion regulation in intellectual disability within the process model framework and recommendations for family-centered approaches.

By integrating empirical evidence with a widely used theoretical model, this review establishes a foundation for conceptualizing emotion regulation in intellectual disability and for improving interventions that support emotional well-being in this underserved population.