Changes in Emotion Regulation across the Life Span

Abstract

Many of us experience loss and decline as we age. It might seem plausible that our mental health would follow a similar downward trajectory. Yet, for many individuals, this does not seem to be the case. One prominent view in the emotional aging literature is that increases in emotion regulation capacities account for this well-being or mental health paradox in late life. This will be the focus of the present chapter. Our aim is to shed light on the nuance and complexity of how emotion regulation changes across adulthood. Following a brief overview of theories and key concepts, we will review empirical studies of how emotion regulation changes across the adult life span, discuss links between emotion regulation and mental health (with a focus on depression and anxiety), present an example study, and highlight directions for future research.

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