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Emotional regulation difficulties refer to problems in recognising, comprehending and regulating emotions in healthy and acceptable ways. People with these problems could respond with anger, grief, frustration, worry or exhilaration that seems out of proportion to the event. Such difficulties are widespread in children, adolescents and adults and may occur alone or in association with diseases such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, depression or trauma-associated disorders.

Typical indications are frequent emotional explosions, mood swings, impulsive behaviours, difficulties settling down after stressful situations, low frustration tolerance, and difficulty effectively expressing feelings. Difficulty regulating emotions can negatively impact academic performance, work productivity, social relationships, and family functioning, sometimes leading to miscommunication and decreased self-esteem.

Difficulties in emotional regulation result from a combination of causes, including genetic characteristics, brain development, stressful life experiences, environmental circumstances, and poor coping abilities. The aetiology must be determined to formulate an appropriate treatment approach.

Supportive therapies include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness, emotional awareness, relaxation, problem-solving and social-emotional learning programmes. Parents, teachers and carers can help by modelling appropriate emotional reactions, keeping consistent routines and encouraging open communication. If caught early, with patience and proper supervision, people can develop better emotional regulation abilities, become more resilient, have improved relationships and, overall, have better mental health and quality of life.