Effect of Emotional Regulation Strategies on Psychological Well-Being among adolescent Students in Plateau State, Nigeria

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• May 24, 2026
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Agu, Loretta Anayo ¹ &  Agu, Peter Emeka ²

Abstract         

This study examined emotional regulation strategies and their influence on the psychological well-being of adolescent students in Plateau State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, and emotional awareness on psychological well-being, as well as the moderating role of gender. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The sample consisted of 396 adolescent students selected through appropriate sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics, including Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that cognitive reappraisal has a significant positive effect on psychological well-being (r = 0.62, p < 0.05), while expressive suppression has a significant negative effect (r = -0.48, p < 0.05). Emotional awareness was also found to have a significant positive relationship with psychological well-being (r = 0.58, p < 0.05). Furthermore, adaptive coping strategies significantly predicted psychological well-being and stress management (β = 0.54, t = 9.21, p < 0.05), accounting for a substantial proportion of variance (R² = 0.49). The results of the moderated regression analysis indicated that gender significantly moderates the relationship between emotional regulation strategies and psychological well-being (β = 0.18, p < 0.05). The study concluded that adaptive emotional regulation strategies, particularly cognitive reappraisal and emotional awareness, enhance psychological well-being among adolescents, whereas expressive suppression tends to undermine it. It was recommended that schools, counselors, and parents should promote healthy emotional regulation strategies among adolescents to improve their mental health outcomes.

Keywords:  Emotional regulation strategies, psychological well-being, cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, emotional awareness, adolescents students.

Cite: Agu, L. A. &  Agu, P. E. (2026). Effect of Emotional Regulation Strategies on Psychological Well-Being among adolescent Students in Plateau State, Nigeria. International Journal of Humanities, Thought and Expression,4 (2), 16 – 30. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20367024