The Importance of Self-Regulation for Adolescents and Young Adults

Self-regulation refers to the ability to understand and manage behaviors and responses to stimuli. While self-regulation develops quickly in toddler and preschool ages due to rapid brain growth, it continues to develop into adolescence and adulthood.

To learn self-regulation, children must have predictable, responsive caregivers who model the skill. Over time, they gain proficiency in responding to stressful situations calmly, expressing themselves with words, and navigating conflict without losing control. Some children are naturally easygoing and develop this skill more easily, while others who experience strong emotions may find self-regulation difficult.

Sometimes, children lack appropriate role models or a supportive environment and enter adolescence with little practice in self-regulation. The teenage years bring more complex emotional challenges, which makes the skill an important part in maintaining relationships and developing independence.

Adolescence and young adulthood are developmental stages that involve both risk and opportunity in terms of self-regulation. Interventions that teach specific cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills can provide a foundation that will help individuals transition into adulthood with healthy behaviors and coping mechanisms.

Just as with a child lagging behind in literacy skills, self-regulation can improve with targeted practice. Teenagers need caregivers and mentors who can provide a positive example of self-regulation. Adults who can manage and modulate their own emotions facilitate the process of co-regulation, which assists and supports young people in developing the skill.

Adults should be warm and responsive to teenagers’ needs, coaching them as they try to understand and express their own feelings. Adult caregivers can offer opportunities for teenagers to practice self-regulation and reinforce progress through repetition.

As teenagers improve at self-regulation, their caregivers can offer increasingly complex opportunities to practice the skill. With a parent, for example, the teenager might role play a conflict with a colleague at work. A parent might also guide a high school student through a stressful homework assignment, teaching them how to break the task down into manageable chunks.

To set adolescents up for success, adult caregivers should structure an environment that protects against potential external stressors. For example, a parent might implement a curfew to help limit opportunities for risk-taking behavior or allow a teenager to retreat to their bedroom for a “timeout” during an emotionally tense exchange. Similarly, parents and caregivers should clearly outline boundaries and expectations and enact natural consequences when teens make bad decisions.

Particularly for teenagers who have had adverse childhood experiences, lagging self-regulation skills may translate to academic challenges, problematic relationships, and risky behavior. Without intervention, this lack of self-regulation may contribute to chronic stress that can physically change the brain’s wiring, relying more on emotional response than rational thought.

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) published a report titled “A Comprehensive Review of Self-Regulation Interventions from Birth through Young Adulthood,” which reviewed 299 interventions across age groups. The report looked at 60 studies on a variety of intervention approaches, including mindfulness, resiliency training, stress management, and conflict resolution.

When researchers implemented these interventions with young adults and high school students, they noticed significant improvements in mental and physical health, delinquency, and cognitive regulation.

Research supports the inclusion of self-regulation training in high school curricula, particularly for at-risk groups. Co-regulation support from a trained “coach” can help young people set clear goals and provide skill support, while targeted courses can teach teens how to accept and manage negative emotions. By learning to modulate their emotions, adolescents can develop competency in solving problems, achieving goals, and making sound decisions.

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An Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Mental Health

Scientists have recently paid increasing attention to the role of diet and nutrition in mental health. While observational data indicates a correlation between an unhealthy diet and depression, there are also a few randomized trials that provide high-quality scientific evidence of the relationship.

One such trial was the SMILES Trial (Supporting the Modification of Lifestyle in Lowered Emotional States), conducted from 2012 to 2015 and published in 2017. The first of its kind to explore the relationship between nutrition and mental health, the study involved 67 participants with a diagnosis of clinical depression.

At the beginning of the study, researchers met with each participant to collect information about physical health, lifestyle, diet, and mental health. They also noted details such as occupation, income, and education level. Participants gave a blood sample to provide baseline information about physical health.

Then, for 12 weeks, one group of 33 participants ate a Mediterranean-style diet formulated by a dietician for their specific needs. The so-called ModMedDiet included whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, as well as healthy fats in the form of olive oil and fish. Members of this group met regularly with the dietician to receive support, education, and nutritional counseling.

The second group of 34 individuals received only social support, without dietary modifications. This “befriending” protocol involved meeting regularly with a trained personnel member to play games or engage in friendly conversation about sports, music, or other topics of interest.

After 12 weeks, participants completed a follow-up assessment that collected the same information as their initial assessment, including a blood sample, to allow researchers to compare physical and mental health. Additionally, they participated in a follow-up by telephone 6 months after the first appointment to again evaluate diet and mental health.

At the end of the 12-week study, the participants who had adopted the ModMedDiet showed significantly greater improvements in mental health outcomes than the participants who had received only social support. In the ModMedDiet group, 32 percent of the individuals no longer displayed symptoms consistent with a depression diagnosis. Additionally, the individuals with the most dietary improvements achieved the greatest improvement in depression symptoms compared to the social support group.

The SMILES study indicates the power of an anti-inflammatory diet for the treatment of depression and other health conditions. Most doctors and scientist believe that chronic inflammation plays an important role in depression, and diet directly impacts chronic inflammation.

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish such as salmon, mackerel, or tuna, improve blood flow and decrease inflammatory proteins. Similarly, a diet that includes olive oil provides omega-9 fatty acids, also known as “good fats,” along with monounsaturated fat, antioxidants, and oleocanthal, all of which can inhibit inflammation and pain.

Leafy green vegetable such as kale and spinach provide antioxidants to repair the body at a cellular level and include powerful anti-inflammatory flavonoids. The B vitamin folate supports the production of serotonin, a feel-good chemical in the brain. Furthermore, probiotics help the gut microbiome (the trillions of bacteria in the human body) reduce inflammation and allow the gut to synthesize serotonin more effectively.

To best support mental health and reduce inflammation, people should refrain from eating refined sugar and processed foods.

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