Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Training on Depression, Anxiety, and Emotional Dysregulation in Female University Students Living in Dormitories

Aim and Emotion regulation is a process in which the individual can consciously or unconsciously moderate his/her emotions. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of emotion regulation training on reduction of depression in female university students living in dormitories in Tehran, Iran.
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with experimental and control groups, pretest, posttest, and 6 months follow-up. The sample was comprised of 30 students who were in the first semester of 2010-2011 and were receiving medication for major depressive disorder. The subjects were selected via convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to two groups of experimental and control (15 patients in each). The experimental group received emotion regulation training and the control group were placed on the waiting list. The follow-up was performed 6 months after the end of the training. The data collection tools consisted of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnefski et al., 2001), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), and the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck & Steer, 1996). The questionnaires were completed by the participants in pretest, posttest, and follow-up. Data were analyzed via repeated measures ANOVA.
Findings: Results showed a reduction in depression score in the posttest and follow-up in the experimental group and it was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.01). Moreover, a significant decrease in the subscale of self-blaming and a significant increase in acceptance and positive reappraisal were observed in the posttest and follow-up in the experimental group. However, no significant difference was observed in the anxiety score in posttest and follow-up in the experimental group.
Data showed that emotion regulation training was efficient in the reduction of depression and improvement of emotion regulation in female students living in the dormitory and receiving medication for major depressive disorder.