The Role of Emotion Regulation for the Genesis of Anxiety Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence

A growing body of literature discusses the role of emotion regulation as a significant predictor for mental disorders. In early childhood and adolescence anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders, in which the influence of emotion regulation is still not specified. Based on the generally cross-sectional studies that are not focused on the type of anxiety disorder and analyze the relation between emotion dysregulation and anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence, we propose a model that identifies the critical dimensions of emotion dysregulation, like attention shifting or cognitive strategies, and presents peer acceptance as a specific mechanism through which emotion dysregulation exerts its influence. This model of emotion dysregulation in anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence can purposefully guide hypothesis for future research.