The Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

COVID-19 was identified on December 31, 2019 in Wuhan, China. As a pandemic, it caused people unable to regulate their emotions and created anxiety in many people worldwide. The present study aimed to investigate the role of emotion regulation strategies in mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is a systematic review study conducted in 2021. A search was conducted in Google Scholar, PubMed, Springer, Web of Science, Scopus, and Science Direct databases using the keywords: COVID-19, Psychological Implications, Mental Health, Emotion Regulation Strategies, and Pandemic for the related studies published in English from 2020 (February) to 2021 (December) in reputable journals. 
Selection methods for study: The search yielded 538 articles. By checking the full texts of these articles, 23 articles were finally selected for the review.

Studies showed that the use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies such as positive reappraisal and positive refocusing on planning led to increased mental health. In contrast, using maladaptive emotion management strategies such as catastrophizing, rumination, and blaming others led to anxiety, depression, and stress.

  Given the role of emotion regulation strategies in the management of anxiety caused by COVID-19, it is necessary to take effective measures to inform people about the role of emotion regulation strategies in reducing their anxiety.