Adolescent Emotion Regulation and Future Psychopathology: A Prospective Transdiagnostic Analysis

Transdiagnostic frameworks posit a causal link between emotion regulation (ER) ability and psychopathology. However, there is little supporting longitudinal evidence for such frameworks. Among N = 1,262 adolescents, we examined the prospective bidirectional relationship between ER and future pathological anxiety, depression, and substance dependence symptoms in 10 assessment waves over 7 years. In Random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel models, within‐person results do not reveal prospective lag‐1 effects of either ER or symptoms. However, between‐person analyses showed that dispositional ER ability at baseline predicted greater risk for developing clinically significant depression, anxiety, and substance dependence over the 7‐year follow‐up period. These findings provide some of the first direct evidence of prospective effects of ER on future symptom risk across affect‐related disorders, and should strengthen existing claims that ER ability represents a key transdiagnostic risk factor.