Emotion Regulation and Mental Health

In this article, we argue that emotion regulation is an essential (and traditionally underemphasized) feature of mental health. To develop this idea, we first define the terms emotion, emotion regulation , and mental health . We then chart the development of emotion regulation and describe its role in various facets of normal functioning. Next, we consider what happens when emotion becomes dysregulated in a major depressive episode. We suggest that an emotion regulatory perspective integrates diverse theoretical views of depression and has implications for the assessment, treatment, and prevention of depression. We conclude by speculating about the role of emotion regulation in the broader context of public mental health.