Relationship Between Interpersonal Emotion Regulation and Social Support and Their Effects on Depressive Symptoms in Korean Emerging Adults

Interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) involves the use of strategies by individuals to regulate their emotions through interactions with others. Research has shown that the IER is correlated with psychological symptoms and well-being. However, few studies have investigated the longitudinal relationships between IER and its related constructs.

A cross-lagged panel design was used to examine the reciprocal relationship between IER strategies and perceived social support and their impact on depressive symptoms. Data were collected from 213 emerging Korean adults (136 females; M_age = 25.4), categorized as students, job-seekers, or workers, on three occasions with six-month intervals.

Enhancing positive affect, an upregulation strategy for positive emotions, predicted an increased perception of social support and, consequently, a reduction in depressive symptoms. Soothing strategies were directly associated with increased depressive symptoms. Other IER strategies aimed at downregulating negative emotions did not have any significant effect on the perception of social support or depressive symptoms. Furthermore, perceived social support did not predict longitudinal changes in the tendency to use IER strategies.

These findings suggest that IER strategies, especially those that focus on upregulating positive emotions, may enhance the perception of social support. This offers a promising avenue for designing interventions to support emerging adults facing difficulties in a variety of social and relational transitions.