Hey Tou Chiu1, Lydia Ting Sum Yee2,3,4, Joyce Lok Yin Kwan2,3,5, Rebecca Yuen Man Cheung3,6,7, Wai Kai Hou2,3,8. 1. Department of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. 2. Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. 3. Centre for Psychosocial Health, The Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. 4. Centre for Educational and Developmental Sciences, The Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. 5. Assessment Research Centre, The Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. 6. Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. 7. Centre for Child and Family Science, The Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong. 8. Laboratory of Psychology and Ecology of Stress, The Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Abstract
Objective: This study tested the interactive relationships between college students' perceived capability of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions on mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants: Participants were healthy undergraduates (n = 167) recruited from two universities in Hong Kong. Methods: Students completed four scales assessing their perceived capability of using strategies to regulate negative and positive emotions and their anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results: Findings revealed that both anxiety and depressive symptoms were negatively linked to perceived capabilities of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions. Furthermore, regulating negative emotions interacted with savoring positive emotions to predict anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The need to simultaneously perform negative and positive emotion regulation is highlighted. The results suggest the priority of regulating negative emotions over savoring positive emotions in alleviating anxiety symptoms. Nevertheless, enhancing positive emotion shows greater benefits for those who are less adept at regulating negative emotions.
Objective: This study tested the interactive relationships between college students' perceived capability of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions on mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants: Participants were healthy undergraduates (n = 167) recruited from two universities in Hong Kong. Methods: Students completed four scales assessing their perceived capability of using strategies to regulate negative and positive emotions and their anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results: Findings revealed that both anxiety and depressive symptoms were negatively linked to perceived capabilities of regulating negative emotions and savoring positive emotions. Furthermore, regulating negative emotions interacted with savoring positive emotions to predict anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The need to simultaneously perform negative and positive emotion regulation is highlighted. The results suggest the priority of regulating negative emotions over savoring positive emotions in alleviating anxiety symptoms. Nevertheless, enhancing positive emotion shows greater benefits for those who are less adept at regulating negative emotions.
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Keywords:
Anxiety symptoms; college students; depressive symptoms; emotion regulation; savoring