Emotion regulation is associated with trait-like and future well-being across 8 years

Emotion regulation is thought to play a crucial role in well-being. However, we know surprisingly little about how emotion regulation strategies predict well-being over time in adulthood. The present study analyzed data from a large-scale five-wave panel study spanning 8 years (2012-2020) on a nationally representative sample of Taiwanese adults (N = 4,990; M_age = 42.83). Using random intercept lagged panel modeling, we examined whether emotion regulation strategies measured at baseline (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and suppression of positive and of negative emotions) were (a) associated with the stable, trait-like between-person component of well-being (i.e., cognitive, affective, and physical) across the study period and (b) prospectively linked to later time-specific well-being above and beyond stable well-being and prior well-being. Reappraisal was positively associated with well-being at both the stable between-person level and the later time-specific level up to 8 years later. In contrast, suppression of positive (but not negative) emotions was negatively associated with well-being at both the stable between-person level and the later time-specific level. These associations generalized across all facets of well-being and also largely generalized across gender, age, and social class backgrounds. These findings suggest that how people regulate their emotions today is associated with their stable, trait-like well-being as well as long-term future well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).