Emotional Self-Regulation and Sociodemographic Factors on Subjective Well- being of Chilean adolescents

Abstract The relationship between emotional regulation and the perception of well-being is now well recognized. However, the influence of short-term emotional regulation strategies, together with sociodemographic factors, on subjective well-being has been partially examined, especially in adolescents with socioeconomic vulnerability conditions. The aim of this article is to analyze the influence of emotional regulation and sociodemographic factors on subjective well-being in adolescent students. This cross-sectional study considered a sample of 917 adolescents from 10 to 19 years of age, students of primary and secondary Publics Schools in the eighth regions of Chile. Emotional regulation and subjective well-being were measured using self-report questionnaires. Socioeconomic vulnerability was established from the school vulnerability index (SVI) of each student's school. Multiple regression analysis showed that the level of emotional regulation present in the young people together with gender, age and level of vulnerability were significantly associated with the adolescents' perception of well-being. In this sense, a high level of emotional regulation together with male gender predicted higher well-being scores. On the other hand, female gender and a "high" level of school vulnerability were associated with lower levels of perceived well-being in adolescents. This study highlights the importance of considering emotional regulation as a relevant factor on subjective well-being in adolescents, particularly in adolescents with conditions of school vulnerability. This aspect together with factors such as gender and age should be considered in the generation of programs and public policies to improve well-being in adolescents.