The development of an emotional regulation scale for adolescents

Abstract

Emotional regulation is an important skill enabling or disabling the occupational engagement of adolescent clients. Evaluation is a key concept in the occupational therapy process, informing treatment approaches and outcomes. The authors could not identify a scale measuring emotional regulation strategies used by adolescent in the literature. A quantitative, descriptive study was done following a process of scale development. A survey with 78 items was designed which 404 adolescents from a tertiary institution completed. From the results, a provisional scale was developed, measuring emotional regulation strategies used by adolescents. The scale has 39 items, consisting of five emotional regulation strategy categories, named Comfort and Sharing, Antisocial behaviour, Creative Activities, Physical Activities and Eating. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model proved the provisional scale, as well as the items, to be reliable. Further research for the development and the refinement of this scale is recommended. The use of an emotional regulation scale could assist the occupational therapist in understanding the adolescent client's emotional regulation strategies or lack thereof.

Tutorial Action and Emotional Development of Students as Elements of Improved Development and Preventing Problems Related with Coexistence and Social Aspects

“…Nevertheless, early established recommendations have been maintained and respected. Thus, emotional regulation is the process through which individuals identify, modulate, and express their emotions, whilst they interact with individuals or situations with the aim of reaching goals and objectives, adapting to a context or achieving personal and social well-being [ 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

The Relationship between Emotional Regulation and School Burnout: Structural Equation Model According to Dedication to Tutoring

“…Thus, emotional regulation is the process that enables individuals to identify, modulate and express their emotions whilst they interact with other individuals or situations. The purpose of this is to reach goals and objectives, to adapt to the context, or achieve personal and social wellbeing [17,35,36]. This will assist in the avoidance of burnout and forms the object of the present study.…”

Editorial Comment

“…This study is the first of its kind done on a South African population, and the results contribute to the emergent understanding of the sensory processing, praxis and related social participation of children with Down syndrome within the South Africa context. In the second undergraduate article, students from UFS set about developing an emotion regulation scale for adolescents 4 . After conducting an extensive literature search, a 39-item scale to identify the strategies employed by 404 adolescents drawn from a student population, was developed.…”