Emotional regulation, depressive symptoms, and anhedonia: The specific role of adaptive and maladaptive strategies

Emotional regulation strategies have been shown to have either positive or negative relations with depression. However, very few of the studies that have analyzed this issue have taken into account the role of anhedonia in depression. This is the first study to jointly examine the specific contributions of both adaptive and maladaptive emotional regulation strategies to depression and anhedonia. The study uses a community sample (N = 427). The analyses indicated a positive, medium-sized relationship between adaptive strategies and (the lack of) anhedonia, as well as a negative relationship between these strategies and depressive symptoms. The study also found a strong, positive association between maladaptive strategies and depressive symptoms, as well as a medium-sized, negative relationship between maladaptive strategies and (the lack of) anhedonia. Structural equation modelling analysis confirmed the specific contribution of adaptive and maladaptive regulation strategies to both affective dimensions. These findings underscore the important roles that both kinds of emotional regulations strategies can play in understanding depression and, therefore, in informing treatment of depressive disorders and anhedonia.