The Regulation of Emotion in Adolescence

Abstract

Youth have many personal resources to help improve their ER skills. In addition, parents, peers, teachers, and practitioners can also contribute greatly to the development of healthy ER and its link to overall thriving among youth. As emphasized in the positive youth development (PYD) model that framed the 4-H Study, the attributes of individuals and of their contexts must be considered in designing effective youth development programs. Through such integrative programs, youth developing across the adolescent period can be supported in manifesting adaptive responses to emotions. Whether focused on the inputs or outputs involved in their emotional life, such programs can support youth in becoming more aware of their emotions and of strategies such as mindfulness, social problem-solving, and reappraisal that help them deal effectively with emotional situations. Such skills will contribute mightily to ensure that young people will thrive across their adolescence and into subsequent periods of their lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)