(PS7-D81) Ethnicity and Goal-directed Emotion Regulation Moderate the Link Between Internalizing Symptoms and Perceived Academic Stress

Ethnicity and goal-directed emotion regulation moderate the link between internalizing symptoms and perceived academic stress.

Authors: Teresa Mejia, Li Shen Chong, Kate L. Senich, Dr. Elana Gordis

Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Albany
 

Higher levels of internalizing symptoms (depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms) are associated with higher academic stress among college students. Difficulties in emotional regulation strategies have also been shown to significantly predict internalizing symptoms and stress. The protective effects of emotion regulation strategies against stress may be generalized to academic stress. Difficulties in emotion regulation may influence internalizing symptoms and academic stress. The literature provides evidence for racial/ethnic differences in emotion regulation, with ethnic and racial minorities largely exhibiting greater use of emotion regulation strategies. This study therefore examined whether ethnicity and difficulties in goal-directed emotion regulation strategies moderate the link between internalizing symptoms and perceptions of academic stress. Participants (N= 313, mean age= 18, 26.2% female, 26.2% male, 51.9% White, 18.2% Black, 8.8% Asian, 13.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.5% Mixed/Biracial, 0.6% American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 1.4% Other) self-reported internalizing symptoms, difficulties in goal-directed emotion regulation strategies, and perceived academic stress. Participant perceptions of academic stress were obtained using the Perceptions of Academic Stress Scale (PASS). The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) delineated difficulties in goal-directed emotion regulation as one of six emotion regulation strategies. Regression analyses revealed that a significant three-way interaction between internalizing symptoms, difficulties in goal directed emotion regulation and ethnicity significantly accounted for perceived academic stress (β=.15, t(304)=3.26, p< .01, 95% CI [.06, .24]). Simple slope analysis indicates that when compared to white participants, the association between internalizing symptoms and perceived academic stress was weaker for ethnic minority participants with lower levels of difficulty in engaging in goal-directed behavior. Among all other DERS emotion regulation strategies, goal-directed behavior was the only significant moderator in such relation. Our study highlights how greater goal-directed strategies may buffer against academic stress under conditions of internalizing symptoms, particularly among ethnic minorities. Targeting goal-directed ER strategies may be particularly beneficial for ethnic minority students experiencing higher levels of internalizing symptoms.