Introduction: Adolescence is a time of profound changes in multiple contexts, giving rise to an increased amount of potential stressors. It is also a developmental period were emotional problems tend to have their onset and are common. We know from previous research that stressors are a risk factor for internalizing problems. However, we know less about how this relationship unfolds. There has been a lack of research into potential mechanisms affecting this relationship such as moderating and mediating variables. Concerning stressors in the form of daily hassles, a potent mechanism is how well adolescents regulate their emotions. Studies have shown that especially cognitive regulatory strategies, such as worry and rumination, tend to increase in early adolescence, an increase that precedes increases in emotional problems. However, with a few exceptions, many studies have been cross-sectional and we do not know exactly how these strategies affects or are affected by stressors and emotional problems. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate how cognitive emotion regulation strategies, more specifically worry and rumination, relate to the development of emotional problems in the face of stressors.
Method: This is a prospective study following 3200 Swedish adolescents in 7th and 8th grade across one year. Participants completed questionnaires about amounts of stressors, levels och worry, rumination, anxiety and depressive symptoms during school hours in the spring of 2014 and again in 2015. Half-longitudinal mediational- and moderation analyses will be performed to investigate how worry and rumination relate to the development of emotional problems in the face of stressors.
Results: The open paper will give an overview of the above-mentioned analyses and present a discussion of the results with respect to theory and clinical implications.