Developmental Trends in Emotion Regulation: A Systematic Review with Implications for Community Mental Health

The ability to regulate how emotions are experienced is central to psychological well-being. Developmental changes in emotion regulation (ER) strategies are unclear in the literature. Thus, a systematic review of the research literature was conducted in order to (a) describe normative ER development across childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood, (b) describe the patterns and processes of specific ER strategies, and (c) identify and describe the influence of specific individual factors on ER. Fifty-five studies were identified that examined key ER strategies across development. The findings highlight the importance of facilitating adaptive ER strategies among children and youth.