Expressive suppression is generally associated with reduced positive affect, higher daily stress, and increased depressive symptoms, although its negative effects are not uniform across all individuals.

Sources and limits

Citation roles describe each study's relationship to this claim. Their counts do not measure evidence strength. This page reuses the published finding; it adds no new synthesis.

1. [1] Supports · 2015

   Is the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire actually useful?

   Because this study is cross-sectional and correlational, it cannot prove that using these emotion regulation strategies causes better mental health outcomes. The sample was also highly specific, consisting primarily of young, female psychology and linguistics students in the UK, which limits how well these findings apply to other age groups or cultures. Finally, the questionnaire uses brief scales with only a few items, which might not fully capture the complex, real-time ways people manage their emotions in daily life.

   Original paper

2. [2] Supports · 2022

   How does heart biology protect us from hiding our feelings?

   The study is purely correlational, meaning it cannot prove that high heart rate variability directly causes resilience against emotional suppression. It relied on self-reported questionnaires to measure the frequency of emotion regulation strategies rather than directly assessing how effectively participants applied them. Additionally, the sample consisted of older adults who were mostly non-Hispanic White, so the findings may not generalize to younger or more racially diverse populations. Lastly, heart rate variability was measured only once at baseline rather than tracking how it shifted over the course of the study.

   Original paper

3. [3] Supports · 2019

   How Geriatric Nurses Manage Daily Emotions and Stress

   Because the researchers used correlational daily diary data, this study cannot prove that emotion regulation strategies directly caused changes in well-being or stress. Additionally, the study relied on paper-and-pencil diaries completed at the end of the day, which can introduce recall bias and lacks objective verification of when participants actually filled them out. Lastly, the findings from this healthy sample of 89 Swiss caregivers might not generalize to clinical populations or other high-stress jobs.

   Original paper

Review and correction history

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