Psychosocial Predictors of Emotion Regulation among Nigerian University Students: Implications for Mental Health Interventions

Emotion regulation (ER) is essential for psychological well-being, yet its psychosocial predictors remain understudied among African university populations. This study examined the social and psychological determinants of ER and the mediating effects of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression on the relationship between lifestyle quality and emotional distress among undergraduates in South-West Nigeria. A cross-sectional design was employed involving 1,590 students (M = 20.73, SD = 2.15) who completed the Simple Lifestyle Questionnaire (SLIQ), a single-item Health Status Rating Scale, and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), alongside measures of stress, anxiety, and depression. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, multiple regression, and Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Participants demonstrated moderate ER ability (M = 51.52, SD = 10.81). ER correlated positively with stress (r = 0.086, p < .001), anxiety (r = 0.078, p < .01), and depression (r = 0.067, p < .01). Age (β = –0.33, p = .010) and ethnicity (β = –2.48, p = .027) significantly predicted ER. Expressive suppression, but not cognitive reappraisal, mediated the relationship between lifestyle quality and psychological distress. These findings highlight lifestyle, age, and ethnicity as key factors influencing ER and emphasise the need for culturally sensitive interventions to strengthen adaptive emotional coping among university students.