The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies in the Relationship Between Ego Strength and Social Adjustment in Adolescents

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between ego strength and social adjustment. To do this through descriptive research, 337 high school students were selected by the convenience sampling procedure. The participants were requested to fill out The Bell Adjustment Inventory (Bell, 1934), Ego Strength Scale (Besharat, 2007), and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnfsky and Krajj, 2006). The results of this study showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between ego strength and social adjustment. There is also a significant positive and negative relationship between adaptive and maladaptive strategies of emotion regulation with social adjustment. The results of path analysis showed that the indirect effect of ego strength on the social adjustment variable through adaptive emotion regulation strategies and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies is meaningful. Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that the relationship between ego strength and social adjustment is not linear and simple, and ego strength affects social adjustment through adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. To improve social adjustment, in addition to improving ego strength, it is necessary to provide the context for training adaptive emotion regulation strategies, to enhance the level of adjustment and mental health.