Similarities and Differences in Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology in Iranian and German School-children: A Cross-cultural Study

Abstract

Background:Internalizing and externalizing disorders in children and adolescents have been known in many countries. This study was performed to find out effect of culture on emotion regulation and its aim was to identify relationship between emotion regulation and psychopathology in children.
Methods:  Participants were 269 children from Iran and Germany
who voluntarily agreed to participate. Groups were defined by
cultural background, thus we select them by available method. In order to data gathering, we used children emotion management scale, cognitive emotion regulation and youth self‑report (YSF) questionnaires. For data analysis, we used Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). Finally, in order to realize variables that are significant in Iran or Germany groups, we used post hoc Scheffe test.
Results:The results showed significant relationship in main effect of country (P< 0.001) and main effect of sex (P= 0.003). In addition results indicated no significant relations in interaction effect between country and sex. Main effect of country was significant (P ≤0.001). But findings in sex, country and sex interactions were not significant. MANOVA analyses for internalizing and externalizing YSF indicated main effect of country and sex was significant and main effect of country and sex interaction was not significant statistically (P= 0.088).
Conclusions:The results imply that students in Iran showed
more internalizing and externalizing symptoms. We concluded that culture and emotion expressions are explaining differences between Iranian and German students. It is difficult for young children to express themselves because they have to cope with situation and respect to reserve harmony in family.
Keywords:Coping strategies, culture, emotion regulation,
externalizing, internalizing