Problem orientation and psychological distress among adolescents: do cognitive emotion regulation strategies mediate their relationship?

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical period for the development of attitudes and skills crucial in determining vulnerability for psychological distress. The current study aimed to focus on the association of problem orientation and cognitive emotion regulation strategies with psychological distress and demonstrate the mediator roles of adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the association of problem orientation with psychological distress. Data were collected from 335 adolescents (167 female) aged 14-to-18 years (M= 14.7, SD= .95) via measures of problem orientation, cognitive emotion regulation, and psychological distress. The results revealed that maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (self-blame and other-blame) mediated the association of negative problem orientation with psychological distress. The findings emphasize the crucial roles of blaming-focused strategies in this relationship.