Racial and ethnic differences in emotion regulation: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: Emotion regulation is a transdiagnostic mechanism with relevance to the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of a wide range of clinically relevant outcomes.This study applied systematic review methods to summarize the existing literature examining racial and ethnic differences in emotion regulation.Methods: We systematically searched four electronic databases (PsycINFO, Embase, MEDLINE, and CINAHL Plus) using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Results: Of the initial 1253 articles, 25 met the inclusion criteria. Findings for emotion regulation strategies generally provide evidence for racial/ethnic differences (71% of reviewed studies), with ethnoracial minorities largely exhibiting greater use of emotion regulation strategies.Whereas the results for emotion regulation potential were slightly more mixed (63% of reviewed studies found racial/ ethnic differences), ethnoracial minorities were also largely found to report lower emotion regulation potential. Conclusion:This review advances the literature by providing additional support for racial and ethnic differences in emotion regulation.

Sociocultural Moderators of Emotion Regulation in Family Members of the Critically Ill

“…Studies on ER have increased rapidly across various patient populations, their caregivers, and contexts (Behrouian et al, 2021; O’Toole et al, 2020; Toohey et al, 2016). Consistent with prior work, we found non-White SDMs reported a greater tendency to use cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression than White SDMs, and SDM men had a higher tendency to use expressive suppression than SDM women (Goubet & Chrysikou, 2019; Nolen-Hoeksema, 2012; Weiss et al, 2022). However, less is known about the interaction of race and gender in the relationship between ER (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and psychological distress.…”

“…Emotion regulation (ER) is a fundamental skill that SDMs can use to reduce the severity of their psychological distress. Importantly, ER tendencies and the effects of discrete ER strategies differ by racial and gender identity (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2012; Perchtold et al, 2019; Soto et al, 2011, 2012; Webb et al, 2012; Weiss et al, 2022). Yet, in the context of surrogate decision-making in the intensive care unit (ICU), little is known about the ER tendencies that vary between SDMs of different races or gender, and how these differences modify ER’s influence on psychological distress.…”

Differences in Emotion Expression, Suppression, and Cardiovascular Consequences Between Black and White Americans in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Study

“…Culturally relevant strategies for regulating emotions may influence the impact of social stressors on health and well-being (Appleton et al, 2014;Brownlow, 2022;Das, 2013;Thayer et al, 2020). Recent work suggests that social and cultural factors, including race, impact the usage of emotion regulation strategies (Weiss et al, 2022). In particular, Black Americans appear to engage in expressive suppression more often than White Americans (Wilson & Gentzler, 2021).…”

Emotion Regulation Strategies Relate to Ambulatory Cardiovascular Activity in an American Indian Community

“…In US samples, the use of expressive suppression is higher among ethnoracial minorities, suggesting that ethnoracial minorities may be more motivated to downregulate emotional expression (for a review, see Ref. (13)). A recent review found that African Americans frequently use expressive suppression as a coping mechanism in response to racial discrimination (14), and research suggests that suppression may in fact be health protective in this context, specifically for African American women (15).…”