Emotion Regulation, Subjective Happiness and Meaning of Life of University Students in the Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Emotion regulation in adverse situations may be essential to aspects related to subjective happiness and the meaning of life. The aim was to investigate associations between emotion regulation strategies and levels of subjective happiness and meaning of life university students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 348 university students participated in the study, being applied a sociodemographic questionnaire, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and Meaning of Life Questionnaire (MLQ) through an online platform. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using the JASP software. The results indicated positive associations between the cognitive reassessment strategy and the presence of subjective happiness and meaning of life, while the strategy of emotional suppression negatively interfered. Cognitive change was an emotion regulation strategy that proved effective, both in the reassessment of the situation and in the ability to manage the demands arising from the pandemic.