Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network models
Abstract Background Anxiety, a prevalent and detrimental mental disorder, usually emerges in late adolescence and emerging adulthood. Emotion regulation strategies, namely expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal, share a close relation with the onset and maintenance of anxiety. Yet the rela...
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BMC
2025-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02388-7 |
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| author | Xinyuan Zou Yichao Lv Qihui Tang Shujian Wang Xinze Liu Liang Zhang Yanqiang Tao Jingyi Zhou |
| author_facet | Xinyuan Zou Yichao Lv Qihui Tang Shujian Wang Xinze Liu Liang Zhang Yanqiang Tao Jingyi Zhou |
| author_sort | Xinyuan Zou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Anxiety, a prevalent and detrimental mental disorder, usually emerges in late adolescence and emerging adulthood. Emotion regulation strategies, namely expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal, share a close relation with the onset and maintenance of anxiety. Yet the relation between anxiety and emotion regulation strategies remains controversial and warrants further clarification. Methods The generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to measure the anxiety disorders and the emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ) was utilized to assess the use of two emotion regulation strategies. In study 1, a total of 2201 college students completed two measurement waves (females = 1358, 61.70%, Mage = 18.37). The cross-lagged model was conducted to identify the directional relation between two emotion regulation strategies and anxiety. In study 2, 3150 college students (females = 1562, 49.59%, Mage = 19.73) completed the measurements. The moderated network model was utilized to clarify the influence of emotion regulation strategy on anxiety from the symptomatic perspective. Results In study 1, the results of the cross-lagged model suggested that the level of anxiety in wave 2 could be negatively predicted by the cognitive reappraisal (b = −0.552, p < .01) but not by expressive suppression (b = 0.035, p = .174) in wave 1. In study 2, the results of the moderated network indicated that cognitive reappraisal could moderate the interaction between “Excessive worry”-“Irritability”, “Nervousness” -“Uncontrollable worry”, “Trouble relaxing”-“Nervousness” (GAD1) ,and “Restlessness” -“Irritability”. Conclusions The current study confirmed cognitive reappraisal could serve as a protective factor for anxiety by diminishing the positive relation between “Excessive worry”-“Irritability” and “Nervousness” -“Uncontrollable worry”. This finding may guide clinical workers to develop more targeted interventions using cognitive reappraisal to alleviate anxiety symptoms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1b71e1483d0e43babb0716bfcb53c456 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-1b71e1483d0e43babb0716bfcb53c4562025-08-20T02:48:16ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-02-0113111210.1186/s40359-025-02388-7Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network modelsXinyuan Zou0Yichao Lv1Qihui Tang2Shujian Wang3Xinze Liu4Liang Zhang5Yanqiang Tao6Jingyi Zhou7Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal UniversityCollege Students’ Mental Health Education Centre, Northeast Agricultural UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal UniversityFaculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal UniversityAbstract Background Anxiety, a prevalent and detrimental mental disorder, usually emerges in late adolescence and emerging adulthood. Emotion regulation strategies, namely expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal, share a close relation with the onset and maintenance of anxiety. Yet the relation between anxiety and emotion regulation strategies remains controversial and warrants further clarification. Methods The generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to measure the anxiety disorders and the emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ) was utilized to assess the use of two emotion regulation strategies. In study 1, a total of 2201 college students completed two measurement waves (females = 1358, 61.70%, Mage = 18.37). The cross-lagged model was conducted to identify the directional relation between two emotion regulation strategies and anxiety. In study 2, 3150 college students (females = 1562, 49.59%, Mage = 19.73) completed the measurements. The moderated network model was utilized to clarify the influence of emotion regulation strategy on anxiety from the symptomatic perspective. Results In study 1, the results of the cross-lagged model suggested that the level of anxiety in wave 2 could be negatively predicted by the cognitive reappraisal (b = −0.552, p < .01) but not by expressive suppression (b = 0.035, p = .174) in wave 1. In study 2, the results of the moderated network indicated that cognitive reappraisal could moderate the interaction between “Excessive worry”-“Irritability”, “Nervousness” -“Uncontrollable worry”, “Trouble relaxing”-“Nervousness” (GAD1) ,and “Restlessness” -“Irritability”. Conclusions The current study confirmed cognitive reappraisal could serve as a protective factor for anxiety by diminishing the positive relation between “Excessive worry”-“Irritability” and “Nervousness” -“Uncontrollable worry”. This finding may guide clinical workers to develop more targeted interventions using cognitive reappraisal to alleviate anxiety symptoms.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02388-7AnxietyEmerging adulthoodCross-lagged modelModerated network modelSymptomatic perspective |
| spellingShingle | Xinyuan Zou Yichao Lv Qihui Tang Shujian Wang Xinze Liu Liang Zhang Yanqiang Tao Jingyi Zhou Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network models BMC Psychology Anxiety Emerging adulthood Cross-lagged model Moderated network model Symptomatic perspective |
| title | Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network models |
| title_full | Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network models |
| title_fullStr | Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network models |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network models |
| title_short | Examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in Chinese college students: insights from cross-lagged and moderated network models |
| title_sort | examining the influence of two emotion regulation strategies on anxiety in chinese college students insights from cross lagged and moderated network models |
| topic | Anxiety Emerging adulthood Cross-lagged model Moderated network model Symptomatic perspective |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02388-7 |
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