Emotion dysregulation between mothers, fathers, and adolescents: Implications for adolescents' internalizing problems

Abstract

Introduction: The present study calls attention to the longitudinal relations between mothers', fathers', and adolescents' emotion dysregulation and adolescents' internalizing problems. To this end, we tested the associations between family members' emotion dysregulation and adolescents' internalizing problems over time.

Methods: Over a 12-month period, 386 Chinese families from Hong Kong involving mothers, fathers, and adolescent children (children at 12-17 years of age; boys = 185, girls = 201) completed a set of questionnaires twice.

Results: Multi-group path analysis revealed unidirectional effects of mothers' emotion dysregulation on fathers' and adolescents' emotion dysregulation over time. Adolescents' emotion dysregulation was also related to their subsequent internalizing problems. The associations did not differ as a function of adolescents' gender.

Conclusion: The present findings underscore the significance of mothers' emotion dysregulation on fathers' and adolescents' emotion dysregulation. As a risk factor, adolescents' emotion dysregulation was also predictive of their internalizing problems 12 months later. Taken together, this study serves to inform prevention and intervention efforts in promoting emotion regulation as a family asset associated with fewer adolescents' internalizing problems.

Keywords: Emotion dysregulation; Father-child dynamics; Internalizing problems; Mother-child dynamics.