Emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms among Chinese junior high school students: a cross-sectional analysis of the role of stress coping styles
- 1Department of Community Nursing, School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University
Abstract
Background: While emotional regulation and coping styles influence adolescent depression, the mediating role of coping styles in the link between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms remains underexplored among junior high school students-a critical developmental stage marked by immature coping patterns.
Objectives: This study explores the correlations among emotional regulation ability, stress coping styles (problem-focused and emotion-focused coping), and depressive symptoms among junior high school students and examines the mediating effect of stress coping styles on the relationship between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms.
Methods: A total of 600 junior high school students were recruited between September and December 2024 through a multi-school convenience sampling approach involving five junior high schools across three cities in Henan Province. A self-designed general information questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9), the Adolescent Coping Style Scale and the Emotional Regulation Ability Questionnaire were used in the investigation. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the associations among problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, emotional regulation ability, and depressive symptoms, and a cross-sectional indirect association analysis was conducted to examine whether the two coping styles statistically accounted for indirect associations between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms.
Results: Among the 471 valid responses received, emotional regulation ability was significantly negatively associated with depressive symptoms ( r = -0.523, P < 0.001). In the parallel mediation analysis, emotional regulation ability was significantly associated with problem-focused coping (B = -0.0733, P = 0.023) and was directly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms (B = -0.1283, P < 0.001), but was not significantly associated with emotion-focused coping (B = -0.0465, P = 0.067). The total indirect effect was not significant (effect = -0.0002, 95% CI: -0.0038-0.0033]), thus indicating that neither coping style significantly mediated this association.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that emotional regulation ability is significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms among junior high school students. However, neither problem-focused coping nor emotion-focused coping significantly mediate the relationship between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that greater emotional regulation ability is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in early adolescence, whereas stress coping styles may not function as stable mediators at this developmental stage. These results support prioritizing the evaluation of developmentally appropriate emotional regulation programs for junior high school students in school and community settings.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026emotional,
title = {{Emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms among Chinese junior high school students: a cross-sectional analysis of the role of stress coping styles}},
author = {Jingjing Wang and Liuhao Yang and Ruru Guo and Dongling Liu and Mengge Li},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1917988},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1917988/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms among Chinese junior high school students: a cross-sectional analysis of the role of stress coping styles
AU - Jingjing Wang
AU - Liuhao Yang
AU - Ruru Guo
AU - Dongling Liu
AU - Mengge Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1917988
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1917988/full
AB - Background: While emotional regulation and coping styles influence adolescent depression, the mediating role of coping styles in the link between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms remains underexplored among junior high school students-a critical developmental stage marked by immature coping patterns. Objectives: This study explores the correlations among emotional regulation ability, stress coping styles (problem-focused and emotion-focused coping), and depressive symptoms among junior high school students and examines the mediating effect of stress coping styles on the relationship between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms. Methods: A total of 600 junior high school students were recruited between September and December 2024 through a multi-school convenience sampling approach involving five junior high schools across three cities in Henan Province. A self-designed general information questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9), the Adolescent Coping Style Scale and the Emotional Regulation Ability Questionnaire were used in the investigation. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the associations among problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, emotional regulation ability, and depressive symptoms, and a cross-sectional indirect association analysis was conducted to examine whether the two coping styles statistically accounted for indirect associations between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms. Results: Among the 471 valid responses received, emotional regulation ability was significantly negatively associated with depressive symptoms ( r = -0.523, P < 0.001). In the parallel mediation analysis, emotional regulation ability was significantly associated with problem-focused coping (B = -0.0733, P = 0.023) and was directly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms (B = -0.1283, P < 0.001), but was not significantly associated with emotion-focused coping (B = -0.0465, P = 0.067). The total indirect effect was not significant (effect = -0.0002, 95% CI: -0.0038-0.0033]), thus indicating that neither coping style significantly mediated this association. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that emotional regulation ability is significantly and negatively associated with depressive symptoms among junior high school students. However, neither problem-focused coping nor emotion-focused coping significantly mediate the relationship between emotional regulation ability and depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that greater emotional regulation ability is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in early adolescence, whereas stress coping styles may not function as stable mediators at this developmental stage. These results support prioritizing the evaluation of developmentally appropriate emotional regulation programs for junior high school students in school and community settings.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -