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REVIEW ARTICLE

Advances in understanding adolescent emotion dysregulation: Mechanisms, risk factors, and interventions

Caixia Zhao1,2 ,  Zhenzhen Yang3 ,  Liping Li3 ,  Kun Li2,4* ,  Liju Qian1,3*
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1 Department of Applied Psychology, School of Psychology, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
2 Department of Physical Therapy, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, Shandong, China
3 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, Shandong, China
4 Jining Key Laboratory of Neuromodulation, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, Shan-dong, China
JCBP, 026150019 https://doi.org/10.36922/JCBP026150019
Received: 11 April 2026 | Revised: 8 July 2026 | Accepted: 20 July 2026 | Published online: 30 July 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Adolescence is a developmental period associated with increased vulnerability to emotion dysregulation (ED), reflecting interacting neurodevelopmental and psychosocial influences. This review synthesizes current theoretical models, risk factors, and interventions for adolescent ED, with a focus on integrative and transdiagnostic perspectives. The risk factors for ED in adolescents are multifaceted, involving biological factors, psychological factors, and social–environmental factors, all of which form a complex network of causes. Regarding interventions, neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation are emerging as effective approaches for targeting biological mechanisms of ED. These technologies can modulate brain activity to improve dysregulated emotional responses. Psychological interventions focus on the social and psychological factors influencing ED, effectively helping adolescents develop adaptive emotion regulation strategies. Additionally, family-based interventions are also critical in addressing the family dynamics that influence emotional regulation.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Emotion dysregulation
Adolescent psychiatry
Emotional regulation model
Neuromodulation techniques
Interventions
Funding
This work was supported by the Key Research Plan of Jining City (grant number 2024YXNS206).
Conflict of interest
Kun Li is a Youth Editorial Board Member of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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