More Than Causes: Unveiling Bidirectional Relationships Between Maladaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Internalizing Problems in Adolescents.

Introduction: Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (MCERSs) have been generally conceptualized as causes of adolescent internalizing problems. This conceptualization was dominant in both theoretical frameworks and practical applications. However, it may not fully capture the complex relationships between MCERSs and internalizing problems. In this study, we challenge this assumption and propose an alternative perspective: MCERSs are not just causes of internalizing problems but also emerge as outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a two-wave longitudinal survey (N = 892; 487 girls, 405 boys; M_{T1 age} = 13.88 years, SD_{T1 age} = 1.41 years) with a 1.5-year interval to examine the bidirectional relationships between four types of MCERSs (i.e., self-blame, rumination, catastrophizing, and blaming others) and two internalizing problems (i.e., anxiety and depression). Cross-lagged panel network analysis was used to test our hypotheses.

Results: The associations between T1 MCERSs and T2 internalizing problems were relatively weak, whereas T1 internalizing problems were strongly related to T2 MCERSs. Moreover, internalizing problems demonstrated a higher out-expected influence, suggesting that they act as catalysts in the network.

Conclusions: These findings reveal the complex interplays between MCERSs and internalizing problems, underscoring that MCERSs may not be universally harmful and may be reciprocally influenced by adolescents' emotional states.