Moderating effects of implicit emotional belief on the relationship between emotional regulation and symptoms of depression and anxiety

Background: Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression are prevalent and represent significant public health concerns globally and the interplay of individual dispositional factors in shaping these symptoms is one of the knowledge gaps for further explorations. This study investigated how implicit emotional beliefs shape the effects of emotion regulation and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Methods: A correlational design was adopted and data were gathered from 450 participants (Male: 40.7%, Female: 58.9%, Mean age: 27.9 ±10.4 year) in the University of Ibadan. Results: While cognitive reappraisal and emotion controllability beliefs predicted more depressive and anxious symptoms, emotion usability belief inverted the effects of cognitive reappraisal on both depression [β = -0.01, t = 2.73, p < 0.01] and anxiety [β = -0.01, t = 2.57, p < 0.05]. Additionally, emotion controllability belief predicted more symptoms of both depression and anxiety and inverted the effect of expressive suppression on depression [β = -0.01, t = 2.88, p < 0.01] and anxiety [β = - 0.02, t = 3.67, p < 0.01]. While expressive suppression and emotion usability belief predicted more symptoms of the emotional distresses, emotion usability belief inverted the effects of expressive emotion on depression [β = -0.01, t = 2.88, p < 0.01] and anxiety [β = -0.01, t = 3.30, p < 0.01]. Conclusion: The effects of emotion regulation skills (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) are conditional on the degree or level to which an individual believes in the general controllability or usability of emotions.