How general control beliefs relate to depressive symptoms in adolescents: the role of emotion controllability beliefs and emotion regulation

Depression during adolescence is a significant global public health and social issue. Research has provided evidence demonstrating the impact of individuals’ control beliefs on depression, with separate research lines focusing on domain-general control beliefs or control beliefs related to emotions. However, no prior research has integrated these two research lines to understand adolescent depression. This research aims to bridge the existing gap by: (1) assessing the association between adolescents’ general control beliefs and emotion controllability beliefs, and (2) evaluating the mediating roles of emotion controllability beliefs and various emotion regulation strategies in the link between general control beliefs and depressive symptoms in adolescents. A large cross-sectional survey study (Study 1) and a two-wave longitudinal survey study (Study 2) were conducted. Both studies consistently showed that adolescents’ general control beliefs were positively associated with emotion controllability beliefs. Moreover, these two types of control beliefs, along with adaptive emotion regulation strategies, served as protective factors against depressive symptoms. Conversely, maladaptive emotion regulation, including aversive cognitive perseveration and disengagement, were identified as risk factors that exacerbated depression. The mediation model further demonstrated the mediating role of emotion controllability beliefs and different emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between general control beliefs and depression. These findings advance our understanding of how domain-general and emotion-specific control beliefs among adolescents relate to depression, and carry practical implications in informing interventions aimed at mitigating adolescent depression.