Contextualizing the Development of Emotion Regulation in Early Adolescence: Results From the ABCD Study

Studies have consistently shown emotion dysregulation to be a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychological and behavioral outcomes, yet less work has identified environmental predictors of such dysregulation. Taking a social ecological approach, we investigated if proximal processes associated with micro-contexts of family, school, and peers (e.g., family conflict), as well as macro-contexts (neighborhood and socioeconomic status) and their interactions predicted overall emotional dysregulation and use of emotion regulation (ER) strategies in early adolescence. Data from Wave 4 of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study were used (N = 6251). Results showed support for hypotheses with multiple micro-contexts being associated with each ER outcome at varying strengths. Contrary to expectations, there was little evidence for macro-contexts and associated interactions as predictors of ER. Future directions are explored, with an emphasis on what factors may be more relevant to ER in early adolescence.