Children who had difficulty managing intense emotions at age seven were more likely to show signs of mental health issues such as despair, sadness and worries at age 11, 14 and 17, research found.
The University of Edinburgh study, funded by the Medical Research Foundation, is among the first to examine the links between early patterns of emotion regulation and teenage mental health.
The findings suggest that helping children to develop emotion regulation skills when they are young could help reduce mental health issues in adolescence, researchers say.
Regulating emotions
Experts analysed a large dataset to test whether children who have a problem with regulating their emotions at age seven are more likely to show internalising behaviours – such as sadness, worry and fear – as teenagers.
Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of internalising problems. A third of adolescents experience depression and around a fifth are affected by an anxiety disorder, researchers say.
The team examined data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study which follows the lives of around 19,000 young people born in 2000-02.
The researchers analysed questionnaires and interviews which surveyed parents and teachers on young people’s emotional problems at ages 11,14 and 17.
Statistical techniques
They used statistical techniques to compare children with different levels of emotional regulation skills at age seven on their mental health in adolescence, taking into account factors like their earlier mental health and behaviour.
Findings showed that a tendency to show signs of emotion regulation difficulties like mood swings, often getting over-excited and being easily frustrated at age seven were significantly associated with internalising behaviours such as anxiety and depression symptoms in the teenage years.
This was the case even when other factors such as pre-existing mental health issues were taken into account. The link was present until age 17, suggesting a sustained effect of intense emotions in the early years, the researchers say.