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Observational Study
. 2023 Jul 22;20(14):6428.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20146428.

Association of Emotional Self-Regulation with Psychological Distress and Positive Functioning Dimensions in Brazilian University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Maurício Rech  1 , Gabriela Bertoletti Diaz  1 , Bruno Luis Schaab  1 , Carolina Garcia Soares Leães Rech  1 , Prisla Ücker Calvetti  1 , Caroline Tozzi Reppold  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Association of Emotional Self-Regulation with Psychological Distress and Positive Functioning Dimensions in Brazilian University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Maurício Rech et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Emotional self-regulation is a relevant factor for human development capable of minimizing emotional difficulties in the face of adverse events, as was particularly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to evaluate emotional self-regulation in Brazilian health science university students and its relationship with positive psychology constructs (subjective well-being, hope, optimism, spirituality, self-compassion, and self-efficacy) and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). This was a prospective, cross-sectional, observational, analytic study of 1062 Brazilian undergraduate students with data collected using self-administered online questionnaires. Students in the first years of their undergraduate degree programs had significantly higher dysregulation scores than those in the final years. Multiple linear regression yielded a model that explained 71.8% of the variation in emotion dysregulation. The correlations of emotion dysregulation were significant and strong, scoring negatively with self-compassion, optimism, and subjective well-being and positively with psychological distress.

Keywords: COVID-19; emotional regulation; positive psychology; psychological distress; university students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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