The mediating role of emotion regulation in the Relationship between emotion awareness and Depression in students

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mohammad Reza Khodabakhsh1 1 Corresponding author: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Ne. C., Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran. Email: Khodabakhsh@iau.ac.ir

Abstract

Background and Objective: The prevalence of depression among school students has a severe negative impact on individual physical and mental health, academic achievement, and interpersonal relationships. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between emotional awareness and depression in students.
Method: This study was a descriptive-correlation study. The statistical population was all second-year high school students in Mian Jalgah city, and 360 students were selected as the research sample using proportional sampling. To collect data, the depression questionnaires of Iron T. Beck (1971), cognitive emotion regulation strategies of Garnfsky and Kraij (2006), and emotional awareness of Rifi et al. (2007) were used. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 software at two descriptive and inferential levels. In the descriptive section, statistical indicators such as mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage were calculated, and in the inferential section, Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used.
Findings: The results showed that emotional awareness has a direct and significant effect on emotion regulation. Also, emotion regulation has a significant negative effect on students' depression. Therefore, improving emotion regulation will reduce the level of students' depression.
Conclusion: It seems that emotional awareness can lead to a reduction in depression levels in students by improving emotion regulation strategies. It is recommended that educational programs be implemented in schools to strengthen emotional awareness and emotion regulation. Also, informing teachers and parents about the symptoms of depression and the importance of emotional support can help in effective prevention and intervention.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Rehabilitation Counseling
Volume 1, Issue 4
February 2026
Pages 268-281

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History

  • Receive Date: 21 December 2025
  • Revise Date: 06 January 2026
  • Accept Date: 06 February 2026
  • Publish Date: 20 February 2026

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