The Relationship between Adolescent Emotional Inhibition and Depression Disorder: The Moderate Effect of Gender
The association between emotional inhibition strategies linked to depression has been showed inconsistent among studies. Mild emotional inhibition maybe benefit for social interaction, especially for female among East Asian cultures. The present study aimed to examine whether the inhibition–depression relationship is dependent on level of emotion inhibition and gender context, given differing value of suppressing emotional displays. We hypothesized that the negative associations between inhibition and adolescent depression would not directly, in which affected by interaction between emotion inhibition and gender. To test this hypothesis, we asked 309 junior high school students which age range from 12 to14 years old to report on their use of emotion inhibition and depression syndrome. A multiple regressions analysis revealed that significant interaction that gender as a moderator to the relationships between emotion inhibition and adolescent depression. The group with the highest level of depression was girls with high levels of emotion inhibition, whose depression score was higher than that of boys with high levels of emotion inhibition. The result highlights that the importance of context in understanding the inhibition-depression relationship.
[1] R. A. Thompson, "Emotion regulation: A theme in search of definition,"
In N, A. Fox.(Ed.), The development of emotion regulation. Monographs
of the Society for Research in Child Development, vol. 59, pp. 25-52,
1994.
[2] J. J. Gross, and R. W. Levenson, "Emotional suppression: Physiology,
self-report, and expressive behavior." Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, vol. 64, pp. 970-986, 1993.
[3] E. A. Butler, B. Egloff, F. H.Wilhelm, N. C. Smith, E. A. Erikson, and J.
J. Gross, "The social consequences of expressive suppression". Emotion,
vol. 3, pp. 48-67, 2003.
[4] J. J. Gross, & O. P. John, "Individual differences in two emotion
regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and wellbeing.
" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 85, pp.
348-362, 2003.
[5] J. J. Gross, and R. W. Levenson, "Hiding feelings: The acute effects of
inhibiting negative and positive emotion. "Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, vol. 106, pp. 95-103, 1997.
[6] G. Joormann, "Cognitive Inhibition and emotion regulation in
depression." Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. l, no. 19,
pp. 161-166, 2010.
[7] J. A. Soto, C. R. Perez, Y.-H. Kim, E. A. Lee, and M. R. Minnick, "Is
expressive suppression always associated with poorer psychological
functioning? A cross-cultural comparison between european Americans
and Hong Kong Chinese."Emotion, vol. l1, no. 6, pp.1450-1455, 2011.
[8] E. A. Butler, T. L. Lee, and J. J. Gross, "Emotion regulation and culture:
Are social consequences of emotion suppression culture specific?"
Emotion, vol. 7, pp. 30-48, 2007.
[9] I. B. Mauss, and E. A. Butler, "Cultural context moderates the relationship
between emotion control values and cardiovascular challenge versus
threat responses." Biological Psychology, vol. 84, pp. 521-530, 2010.
[10] H. R. Markus, and S. Kitayama, "Culture and the self: Implications for
cognition, emotion, and motivation." Psychological Review, vol. 98, pp.
224-253, 1991.
[11] H. C. Triandis, "The self and social behavior in differing cultural
contexts." Psychological Review, vol. 96, no. 3, pp. 506-520, 1989.
[12] J. L. Tsai, and R.W. Levenson, "Cultural influences on emotional
responding. " Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 28, pp.
600-625, 1997.
[13] S. Nolen-Hoeksema, Sex Differences in Depression. Stanford, CA :
Stanford University Press, 1990.
[14] M. M. Weissman, et al. "Cross-National Epidemiology of Major
Depression and Bipolar Disorder." The journal of American Association,
vol. 276, no. 4, pp. 293-299, 1996.
[15] S. Nolen-Hoeksena, and I. S. Girgus, "The emergence of gender
differences in Depression During adolescences." Psychological Bulletin,
vol. 115, pp. 423-43, 1994.
[16] S. Nolen-Hoeksema, and J. S. Girgus, "Responses to depression and their
effects on the duration of depressive episodes." Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, vol. 100, pp. 569-582, 1994.
[17] B. L. Hankin, and L. Y. Abramson, "Development of sex differences in
depression: Description and possible explanations." Annals of Medicine,
vol. 31, pp. 372-379, 1999.
[18] B. L. Hankin, and L.Y. Abramson, "Development of gender differences in
depression: An elaborated cognitive vulnerability-transactional stress
theory. "Psychological Bulletin, vol. 127, no. 6, pp. 773-796, 2001.
[19] M. K. Underwood, J. D. Coie, and C. R. Herbsman, "Display rules for
anger and aggression in school-age children." Child Development, vol.
63, pp. 366-380, 1992.
[20] T. L. Davis, "Gender differences in masking negative emotions: Ability or
motivation? "Developmental Psychology, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 660-667,
1995.
[21] T. Chaplin, P. Cole, and C. Zahn-Waxler, "Parental socialization of
emotion expression: Gender differences and relations to child adjustment.
"Emotion, vol. 5, pp. 80-88, 2005.
[22] S. Nolen-Hoeksena, and I. S. Girgus, " The emergence of gender
differences in Depression During adolescences." Psychological Bulletin,
vol. 115, pp. 423-43, 1994.
[23] S. B. Sorenson, C. M. Rutter, and C. S. Aneshensel, "Depression in the
community: An investigation into age of onset. " Journal of Consulting
and Clinical Psychiatry, vol. 59, pp. 541-546, 1991.
[24] E. T. Aronen, and M. Soininen, "Childhood depressive symptoms predict
psychiatric problems in young adults." Canadian Journal of Psychiatry,
vol. 45, pp. 465- 470, 2000.
[25] D. Devine, T. Kempton, and R. Forehand, "Adolescent de-pressed mood
and young adult functioning: A longitudinal study. "Journal of Abnormal
Child Psychology, vol. 22, pp. 629-640, 1994.
[26] D. M. Fergusson, and L. J. Woodward, "Mental health, educational and
social role outcomes of adolescents with depression. " Archives of
General Psychiatry, vol. 59, no.3, pp.225-231, 2002.
[27] Jia. Ru. Li, & Ching-Wen, Lin. "Psychometric properties of the Negative
Emotion regulation strategies." submitted for publication.
[28] Sue. Huei. Chen, Children's Depression Inventory-Technical Manual
Update. Taipei: Psychological Publishing Co., Ltd, 2008.
[1] R. A. Thompson, "Emotion regulation: A theme in search of definition,"
In N, A. Fox.(Ed.), The development of emotion regulation. Monographs
of the Society for Research in Child Development, vol. 59, pp. 25-52,
1994.
[2] J. J. Gross, and R. W. Levenson, "Emotional suppression: Physiology,
self-report, and expressive behavior." Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, vol. 64, pp. 970-986, 1993.
[3] E. A. Butler, B. Egloff, F. H.Wilhelm, N. C. Smith, E. A. Erikson, and J.
J. Gross, "The social consequences of expressive suppression". Emotion,
vol. 3, pp. 48-67, 2003.
[4] J. J. Gross, & O. P. John, "Individual differences in two emotion
regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and wellbeing.
" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 85, pp.
348-362, 2003.
[5] J. J. Gross, and R. W. Levenson, "Hiding feelings: The acute effects of
inhibiting negative and positive emotion. "Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, vol. 106, pp. 95-103, 1997.
[6] G. Joormann, "Cognitive Inhibition and emotion regulation in
depression." Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. l, no. 19,
pp. 161-166, 2010.
[7] J. A. Soto, C. R. Perez, Y.-H. Kim, E. A. Lee, and M. R. Minnick, "Is
expressive suppression always associated with poorer psychological
functioning? A cross-cultural comparison between european Americans
and Hong Kong Chinese."Emotion, vol. l1, no. 6, pp.1450-1455, 2011.
[8] E. A. Butler, T. L. Lee, and J. J. Gross, "Emotion regulation and culture:
Are social consequences of emotion suppression culture specific?"
Emotion, vol. 7, pp. 30-48, 2007.
[9] I. B. Mauss, and E. A. Butler, "Cultural context moderates the relationship
between emotion control values and cardiovascular challenge versus
threat responses." Biological Psychology, vol. 84, pp. 521-530, 2010.
[10] H. R. Markus, and S. Kitayama, "Culture and the self: Implications for
cognition, emotion, and motivation." Psychological Review, vol. 98, pp.
224-253, 1991.
[11] H. C. Triandis, "The self and social behavior in differing cultural
contexts." Psychological Review, vol. 96, no. 3, pp. 506-520, 1989.
[12] J. L. Tsai, and R.W. Levenson, "Cultural influences on emotional
responding. " Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 28, pp.
600-625, 1997.
[13] S. Nolen-Hoeksema, Sex Differences in Depression. Stanford, CA :
Stanford University Press, 1990.
[14] M. M. Weissman, et al. "Cross-National Epidemiology of Major
Depression and Bipolar Disorder." The journal of American Association,
vol. 276, no. 4, pp. 293-299, 1996.
[15] S. Nolen-Hoeksena, and I. S. Girgus, "The emergence of gender
differences in Depression During adolescences." Psychological Bulletin,
vol. 115, pp. 423-43, 1994.
[16] S. Nolen-Hoeksema, and J. S. Girgus, "Responses to depression and their
effects on the duration of depressive episodes." Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, vol. 100, pp. 569-582, 1994.
[17] B. L. Hankin, and L. Y. Abramson, "Development of sex differences in
depression: Description and possible explanations." Annals of Medicine,
vol. 31, pp. 372-379, 1999.
[18] B. L. Hankin, and L.Y. Abramson, "Development of gender differences in
depression: An elaborated cognitive vulnerability-transactional stress
theory. "Psychological Bulletin, vol. 127, no. 6, pp. 773-796, 2001.
[19] M. K. Underwood, J. D. Coie, and C. R. Herbsman, "Display rules for
anger and aggression in school-age children." Child Development, vol.
63, pp. 366-380, 1992.
[20] T. L. Davis, "Gender differences in masking negative emotions: Ability or
motivation? "Developmental Psychology, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 660-667,
1995.
[21] T. Chaplin, P. Cole, and C. Zahn-Waxler, "Parental socialization of
emotion expression: Gender differences and relations to child adjustment.
"Emotion, vol. 5, pp. 80-88, 2005.
[22] S. Nolen-Hoeksena, and I. S. Girgus, " The emergence of gender
differences in Depression During adolescences." Psychological Bulletin,
vol. 115, pp. 423-43, 1994.
[23] S. B. Sorenson, C. M. Rutter, and C. S. Aneshensel, "Depression in the
community: An investigation into age of onset. " Journal of Consulting
and Clinical Psychiatry, vol. 59, pp. 541-546, 1991.
[24] E. T. Aronen, and M. Soininen, "Childhood depressive symptoms predict
psychiatric problems in young adults." Canadian Journal of Psychiatry,
vol. 45, pp. 465- 470, 2000.
[25] D. Devine, T. Kempton, and R. Forehand, "Adolescent de-pressed mood
and young adult functioning: A longitudinal study. "Journal of Abnormal
Child Psychology, vol. 22, pp. 629-640, 1994.
[26] D. M. Fergusson, and L. J. Woodward, "Mental health, educational and
social role outcomes of adolescents with depression. " Archives of
General Psychiatry, vol. 59, no.3, pp.225-231, 2002.
[27] Jia. Ru. Li, & Ching-Wen, Lin. "Psychometric properties of the Negative
Emotion regulation strategies." submitted for publication.
[28] Sue. Huei. Chen, Children's Depression Inventory-Technical Manual
Update. Taipei: Psychological Publishing Co., Ltd, 2008.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:57651", author = "Jia-Ru Li and Chih-Hung Wang and Ching-Wen Lin", title = "The Relationship between Adolescent Emotional Inhibition and Depression Disorder: The Moderate Effect of Gender", abstract = "The association between emotional inhibition strategies linked to depression has been showed inconsistent among studies. Mild emotional inhibition maybe benefit for social interaction, especially for female among East Asian cultures. The present study aimed to examine whether the inhibition–depression relationship is dependent on level of emotion inhibition and gender context, given differing value of suppressing emotional displays. We hypothesized that the negative associations between inhibition and adolescent depression would not directly, in which affected by interaction between emotion inhibition and gender. To test this hypothesis, we asked 309 junior high school students which age range from 12 to14 years old to report on their use of emotion inhibition and depression syndrome. A multiple regressions analysis revealed that significant interaction that gender as a moderator to the relationships between emotion inhibition and adolescent depression. The group with the highest level of depression was girls with high levels of emotion inhibition, whose depression score was higher than that of boys with high levels of emotion inhibition. The result highlights that the importance of context in understanding the inhibition-depression relationship.
", keywords = "Emotional inhibition strategies, gender, adolescent depression.", volume = "6", number = "12", pages = "3573-3", }
