The relationship between beliefs about emotions and emotion regulation: a systematic review

Emotion regulation is a known predictor for psychopathology and a target for treatment. A growing body of literature has examined the role of beliefs about emotions (BEs) in the emotion regulation process, yet the relationship between the two has yet to be systematically evaluated. A systematic review was conducted across five databases and 22 studies that assessed the relationship between BEs and emotion regulation were identified. The findings generally revealed a positive relationship between beliefs about the controllability and goodness of emotions and emotion regulation. There was strong evidence that beliefs about controllability were consistently associated with ‘active’ emotion regulatory strategies. This outcome has important implications for targeting change in therapy. However, further investigation is needed to establish consistent patterns regarding beliefs about the goodness of emotion and emotion regulation using longitudinal designs.