Low Emotional Self-regulation of Children and Adolescents with Traumatic Experiences Impacts on Their Life Quality

Anastasia Manousiadou

doi:10.31586/ojp.2021.199

Abstract

Emotional regulation of children and adolescents is a very important process for their development. Emotional self-regulation encouraged the children and adolescents to control aggressive emotional outbursts. This study purpose is to exam the effect of emotional self-regulation on the life quality of children and adolescents with traumatic experiences. A systematic review was conducted to examine research on effect of low emotional self-regulation on the life quality among children and adolescents with traumatic experiences. The initial search generated 1.245 research articles, 170 of which were reviewed for detailed evaluation; ultimately, 11 research articles published in the period 2012-2021 were included. Children and adolescents with traumatic experiences all over the world samples were the most represented in research articles. It used thematic synthesis to combine the research articles of low emotional self-regulation on the life quality among children and adolescents with traumatic experiences and identified key themes to explore in the impact studies. Across 11 articles, regardless of the traumatic type of event, it was found that children and adolescents’ low self-regulation affects their ability to express themselves in a functional and productive way. Negative accumulated emotions, which do not externalize sexually and physically abused children and adolescents with low emotional self-regulation gradually lead to some type of emotional disconnection. In conclusion, sexual, physical abuse and war-refugee situations in childhood are more associated with the onset of post - traumatic stress disorder, emotional disorders and difficulties in self - regulation of emotions.

Highlights

In the view of [1] the emotional self-regulation of children and adolescents is important because it is associated with optimal quality of life and well-being
The results showed that parental factors contributed to certain dimensions of their children's emotional self-regulation such as the manifestation of behaviors related to trying to over-regulate emotion such as euphoria, anger and impulsivity
The psychological trauma simple or complex that occurs in the early life of the child makes it more difficult to develop emotional self-regulation skills

Summary

Introduction

In the view of [1] the emotional self-regulation of children and adolescents is important because it is associated with optimal quality of life and well-being. Previous research such as [1,2,3,4], have highlighted the function of self-regulation for positive social, emotional, and cognitive development of children and adolescents in European and North American countries [5] low emotional self-regulation and its relationship to the quality of life of children and adolescents who have experienced traumatic events have been little studied in various cultural settings (sources). The processes of self-regulation at these individual levels occur during infancy, contributing significantly to the subsequent adaptation or poor adaptation of the child to the demands of his environment [6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion