Expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal pathways from social anxiety to depression: A six-month longitudinal study

GÖKDAĞ C., PEKER M., Akkuş K.

Personality and Individual Differences, vol.229, 2024 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 229
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.paid.2024.112757
  • Journal Name: Personality and Individual Differences
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, PASCAL, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Index Islamicus, Psycinfo, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Keywords: Social anxiety, Depression, Emotion regulation, Suppression, Reappraisal
  • Manisa Celal Bayar University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between social anxiety, individual differences in emotion regulation strategies such as expressive suppression (ES) and cognitive reappraisal (CR), and their effects on depressive symptoms. Drawing upon a sample of 369 university students, the study employs a three-wave longitudinal design. Findings indicate a significant association between social anxiety and ES, but not with CR. Additionally, ES is positively associated with depressive symptoms, while CR is not. Path analysis results reveal that social anxiety at Time 1 predicts ES at Time 2, which, in turn, predicts depressive symptoms at Time 3. Furthermore, mediation analysis suggests that ES mediates the relationship between social anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of strategies aimed at reducing emotional suppression tendencies in clinical interventions targeting co-occurring social anxiety and depression.