Pathways from Positive and Negative Affect to Depressive Symptoms: Multiple Mediation of Emotion Regulation Strategies

Abstract The current study aims to examine the multiple mediations of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between positive and negative affect and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Participants included 290 students attending middle schools in a mid-size city in Southeastern Anatolian region. Among students, 137 were females (47.2%) and 153 (52.8%) were males. Participants’ ages ranged between 9 and 15 with a mean of 12.12, SD = 1.53. Research data were collected through Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Adolescents, Emotion Regulation Scale for Adolescents, and Depression Scale for Children. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, an approach based on Ordinary Least Squares Regression, and Bootstrap method. Research findings indicated that the mediation of external dysfunctional emotion regulation, internal dysfunctional emotion regulation, and external functional emotion regulation in the relationships between positive emotions and depressive symptoms was statistically significant. However, the mediation of internal functional emotion regulation was not found to be statistically significant. In the relationship between negative emotions and depressive symptoms, the mediation of internal dysfunctional emotion regulation and external functional emotion regulation was found to be statistically significant. In addition, the mediation of internal functional emotion regulation and external dysfunctional emotion regulation was not found statistically significant. Research findings were discussed based on the relevant literature and some suggestions for researchers were put forward.