Emotion Regulation During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Association With Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the global prevalence of depression and anxiety, and emotion regulation (ER) was a key risk or protective factor for symptoms. In this systematic review, we explore the association between ER and depressive and/or anxious symptoms during the pandemic. We examined a range of ER strategies and considered whether their adaptiveness varied across contexts (e.g., cultures). We also investigated whether ER moderated the association between pandemic-related stress and symptoms. In addition, we assessed whether ER mediated this association. Of the 504 identified articles, 47 articles from countries worldwide met eligibility criteria. We found that traditionally maladaptive ER strategies were associated with greater symptoms and that findings for traditionally adaptive strategies were mixed. ER strategies also played a role in the link between pandemic-related stress and symptoms. This review showed that ER strategies during a naturalistic global stressor have real-world implications for mental health that extend beyond geographical location or culture.