Mindfulness-based Interventions for Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background

Emotional dysregulation is a multidimensional construct, understood as frequent and intense experience of emotions combined with a lack of ability to cope with their occurrence. Adolescence represents a crucial developmental period where emotional dysregulation is being increasingly addressed as an emerging mental health issue, with implications on overall well-being, as well as a potential cause of psychopathology. Mindfulness is the awareness that surfaces through purposefully paying attention to the present moment and nonjudgmentally, exploring the layers of moment-to-moment experiences; Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) emphasise increasing the awareness of the thoughts, feelings, and actions through therapeutic application of Mindfulness techniques. The application of MBIs is conducive to reducing emotional regulation difficulties and has further led to the enhancement of self-regulation of emotions and behaviour.

Summary

This study aims to understand the role of MBIs on emotional dysregulation among adolescents.

The methodology comprised of a systematic review of literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The analysis of the literature highlighted that MBIs effectively reduce emotional dysregulation and improve emotional regulation. The findings suggest that MBIs have been found to reduce adolescents’ emotional dysregulation and improve emotional regulation, coping skills, as well as neurological functioning, leading to positive outcomes as well as an enhancement of self-regulation of emotions.

Key Messages

• Emotional dysregulation is a critical concern during adolescence and can lead to mental health challenges.

• Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) help enhance emotional awareness and self-regulation.

• Systematic review findings suggest MBIs effectively reduce emotional dysregulation among adolescents.

• MBIs can serve as a preventative and therapeutic strategy for adolescent mental health.

Introduction

Adolescence is a period of enormous physical and psychological changes. Globally considered an age group between 10–19 years, it is a period in which an individual’s capacity for abstract and critical thinking develops, there are experiential changes in social perception and social expectations that further lead to the growth and expansion of self-awareness.

The psychological perspective of the adolescence period, since the pioneering contribution of G. Stanley Hall, has been primarily viewed as a period of internal turmoil and upheaval, which can be comprehended as a metaphorical representation of human ancestors’ shift from being primitive to being civilised. ¹ Adolescence should be viewed as a crucial and fragile phase for mental well-being. It is a period of notable changes in emotional and psychosocial experiences, as well as cognitive and intellectual capacities, along with hormonal and neurodevelopmental alterations.

Emotional disorders often emerge during adolescence, with adolescents experiencing a wide array of emotions, by and large in an ‘all-or-nothing’ pattern. These emotional states are usually experienced in extremities and are rapidly changing, driven by a complex interplay of environmental, social, interpersonal as well as parental factors. ² Emotional regulation is a central aspect of diverse psychopathology among youth, influencing self-regulation of negative emotions, including anger and sadness, which significantly influences social functioning and peer acceptance during developmental stages from childhood to adolescence. ³ Although unregulated emotional changes are not always suggestive of psychopathology and should not always be concluded as a psychiatric disorder, yet they are an indicator of impulsive behaviours and associated reactions which may be detrimental to the present as well as future mental health outcomes for adolescents.^{4, 5}

Adolescence characterises a key developmental period to scrutinise the relationship between emotion regulation abilities and the development of psychopathology.^6–8 Alterations in social, biological and cognitive experiences during adolescence surface numerous emotionally charged up circumstances during which it is essential to successfully govern and manage emotions to ensure adaptive functioning. ⁶ Furthermore, disturbances in emotional regulation are typical for adolescents and may be predictive of a higher probability of developing psychiatric conditions like depression, anxiety, substance use, personality disorders, etc. and suggestive of an overall risk of psychopathology in adulthood. ⁵

Emotional dysregulation, characterised by frequent and intense emotional experiences accompanied by a lack of ability to effectively manage these emotions, is a significant concern during adolescence.^{6, 9} Dysregulation of emotions during this crucial developmental period has been implicated in the development of several negative psychosocial outcomes, including academic difficulties, problematic social relationships, and the development of psychopathology. ¹⁰

Empirical evidence suggests that emotion regulation becomes when the regulation of negative and painful emotions is not counterbalanced adequately by positive and pleasant emotions, leading to an incapacity to tolerate intense, unpleasant, and persistent emotional states. Consequently, interventions and targeted support become imperative for enhanced emotional regulation skills in adolescents.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have evolved in recent years as effective therapeutic tools for adolescents. To understand MBIs, it is essential to comprehend the concepts of Mindfulness. It is the awareness that surfaces through purposefully paying attention to the present moment and nonjudgmentally exploring the layers of moment-to-moment experiences. ¹¹ It is a mind-body practice beneficial for mental as well as physical health. Mindfulness inculcates prominent psychological changes in the form of strengthened awareness of thoughts, sensations and feelings, in the present moment. ¹² Mindfulness practice helps individual become aware of their surroundings, noticing experiences and reacting to them by slowing down and observing the processes of the mind. ¹³

MBIs emphasise increasing the awareness of the thoughts, feelings, as well as actions through the therapeutic application of Mindfulness techniques. MBIs lead to improvement in an individual’s coping skills, strengthen emotional regulation, as well as neurological functioning. The above-stated proposition has been supported by studies suggesting implementation of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) practices with the students has effectively targeted brain areas responsible for decision making, planning and impulse control, resulting in a decrease in impulsive and reactive behaviours and emotional dysregulation.^14–16

Interventions grounded in mindfulness-based therapeutic approaches have been shown to provide relief and demonstrate efficacy in promoting significant improvements in individual well-being, as supported by both theoretical and empirical literature. ¹⁷

MBIs inculcate various modalities, initially designed for the clinical population, which have subsequently also been adapted for non-clinical conditions. The first evidence-based application of MBIs was Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This foundational approach paved the way for a new wave of MBIs that integrated principles of CBT with mindfulness practices—commonly referred to as third-wave CBT therapies. Notable examples of these include Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).^17–19 Other interventions, such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), include mindfulness as one of its key components alongside other therapeutic techniques.^{1, 16}

Studies have suggested that MBIs may be a promising approach to address emotional dysregulation in adolescents. Such interventions have been shown to improve coping skills, emotional regulation, and neurological functioning in this population. ⁹

Methods

A comprehensive search of relevant databases was conducted for the identification of studies examining the impact of MBIs on emotional dysregulation in adolescent samples. The search strategy involved using a combination of keywords related to mindfulness, emotional dysregulation, emotional regulation and adolescence. Data extraction and synthesis were performed to summarise the key findings and evaluate the role of MBIs in the management of emotional dysregulation in adolescents.

This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for conducting and reporting systematic literature reviews on MBI and emotional dysregulation. The 27-item PRISMA checklist guided the process of planning, conducting, organisation, analysing, and reporting of the reviewed literature. The following criteria were followed for the purpose of review:

Research Question

Are MBIs effective in reducing emotional dysregulation among adolescents?

Criteria for Considering Studies for This Review

The following inclusion criteria were laid down for the purpose of selecting studies:

• Mindfulness interventions targeting emotional dysregulation among adolescents were included.

• Studies exploring Emotional Dysregulation among adolescents were included.

• Studies that explored the impact of Mindfulness on adolescents were included.

• Studies incorporating MBIs for Emotional Dysregulation were included.

• Studies published from inception to 2025 in English were considered for inclusion.

• Studies employing randomised controlled trials (RCTs), longitudinal designs or quasi-experimental designs were eligible for inclusion.

• Studies primarily focused on the adolescent population were included

• Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses on the relationship between Mindfulness and Emotional Dysregulation across all populations were included.

Articles were excluded based on the following criteria:

• Peer-reviewed articles were not incorporated in the study.

• Studies focusing on interventions other except Mindfulness were excluded.

Organising the Review

A total of 476 articles were identified during the initial screening phase, using the search keywords, as depicted in Table 1 and subsequently reviewed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected articles were thoroughly studied, and a synthesis of key information, including year of publication, authorship, objectives of the study and conclusions, was conducted. From this review, a categorisation was established based on the operationalisation of mindfulness. The titles and abstracts of the articles were read and analysed to expedite the required content for the purpose of the review. Additionally, the studies were grouped according to their objectives through thematic content analysis, where studies with similar or related themes were clustered together. This method allows for pattern recognition and comparisons among studies, facilitating the creation of analytical categories. These categories were developed inductively in accordance with the research questions of this literature review.

Conduction of Review

Table 1. Search Strategies for Databases.

Database	Search Word/Keyword	Number of Records	Included in Review
Google Scholar	Mindfulness, Adolescents, Emotional Dysregulation, Emotional Regulation	274	17
Scopus	Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Emotional Dysregulation, Emotional Regulation, Adolescents	53	9
Web of Science	Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Emotional Dysregulation, Emotional Regulation, Adolescents	28	1
PubMed	Mindfulness, Mindfulness Therapy, Adolescents, Emotional Dysregulation, Emotional Regulation	108	2
Total		476	29

Results

The final database comprised of 29 review articles as depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1. PRISMA Flowchart for Depicting Research Process.

Source: Singh et al.46

A total of 476 records were identified across 4 databases, out of which 132 studies were assessed for eligibility, and 29 met the inclusion criteria after a thorough screening process.

Demographic Descriptions of the Articles

Table 2 presents the socio-demographic details of the studies, including authorship, year of publication, population, research method used and the country of publication. The reviewed studies were conducted in several countries: USA (n = 12), UK (n = 3), India (n = 2), Switzerland (n = 2), Canada (n = 1), China (n = 1), Germany (n = 1), Australia (n = 1), Austria (n = 1), Vienna (n = 1), Iran (n = 1), Brazil (n = 1), Taiwan (n = 1), Netherlands (n = 1).

Table 2. Demographic Details.

Authorship	Year	Sample	Research Method	Country
Arch and Craske 20	2006	University-going adolescents	Randomised control trial	California, USA
Mitmansgruber et al. 21	2009	Adolescents	Experimental study	Austria
Goodall et al. 22	2012	Adolescents	Experimental study	UK
Hölzel et al. 23	2013	Adolescents and adult clinical population	Randomised control trial	USA
Keng et al. 24	2013	Adolescents and adults	Experimental study	Durham USA
Khoury et al. 25	2013	Adolescents and adults	Meta analysis	Canada
Britton et al. 14	2014	Adolescents	Randomised control trial	USA
Ahmed et al. 26	2015	Adolescents and adults	Systematic review	London, UK
Mahmoudzadeh et al. 27	2015	University-going adolescents	Descriptive analytical design	Iran
Opialla et al. 28	2015	Adolescents	Randomised control trial	Switzerland
Roemer and Rollins 29	2015	Adolescents and adults	Systematic review	Boston, USA
Doll et al. 30	2016	Young adults	Randomised control trial	Germany
Pepping et al. 31	2016	Adolescents	Experimental study	Australia
Perry et al. 32	2016	Adolescents	Systematic review	USA
Egan et al. 33	2017	Adults	Intervention study	USA
Freudenthaler et al. 34	2017	Adults	Experimental study	Vienna
Klinbeil et al. 35	2017	Adolescents	Meta analysis	USA
MacDonald and Baxter 36	2017	Female college-going students	Experimental study	Boston USA
Mandal et al. 37	2017	Adults	Experimental study	India
Snippe et al. 38	2017	Adults	Pre and post-interventional study	Netherlands
Chiodelli et al. 39	2018	School-going adolescents	Pre and post-interventional study	Brazil
Campbell et al. 40	2019	Adolescents	Experimental study	USA
McLaughlin et al. 6	2019	College-going adolescents	Experimental study	USA
Zhang et al. 41	2019	Young adults	Experimental study	China
Weis et al. 9	2020	Adolescents	Pre and post-interventional study	USA
Varghese and Sharma 42	2021	School and college-going adolescents	Experimental	India
Saccaro et al. 43	2024	Adolescents and adults	Meta analysis	Switzerland
Liu YL et al. 44	2024	College-going adolescents	Pre and post-interventional study	Taiwan
Alkan et al. 45	2025	Adolescents and adults	Systematic review	London,UK

It is noted that most publications included in the review were published between the years 2015 and 2019 (58.6% studies), while in the last five years, 2021–2025, only a few articles (13.7%) could be identified as per the relevance of the current study.

Twelve studies employed experimental designs, five were intervention studies, five were RCTs, and seven studies were systematic reviews or meta-analyses.

In relation to the participants, there were 16 studies exclusively including Adolescents, while seven studies had a combination of adolescents and adult participants, and six studies had only adult participants. Additionally, one study specifically focused on female adolescent participants.

Experimental studies, particularly those conducted in educational settings, reported moderate improvements in emotional regulation; they additionally explored the relationship of mindfulness with clinical conditions in adolescents, and neurological factors. The RCTs demonstrated significant reductions in emotional dysregulation among adolescents following MBIs. Intervention studies indicated sustained benefits over time with regular mindfulness practice. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses confirmed the overall effectiveness of MBIs in enhancing emotional regulation in adolescents, while also noting inconsistencies in intervention protocols and measurement tools.

Summarised Findings of the Review

Table 3 categorised the primary findings of the review in relevant areas.

Table 3. A summary of Key Findings.

Authorship	Summarised Findings
Goodall et al., 22 Roemer and Rollins, 29 Pepping et al., 31 Klinbeil et al., 35 McLaughlin et al., 40 Weis et al. 9	Mindfulness-based treatments help in reducing emotional dysregulation among adolescents
Arch and Craske, 20 Zhang et al. 41	Focused Breathing technique of mindfulness helps in reducing negative affect and induces emotional regularity
Mitmansgruber et al., 21 Keng et al., 24 Mahmoudzadeh et al., 27 Mandal et al., 37 MacDonald and Baxter, 36 Liu YL et al., 44 Alkan et al. 45	Mindfulness has been associated with a range of positive mental health outcomes, including psychological well-being.Higher mindfulness and using more adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies have been positively linked to enhanced psychological well-being.
Freudenthaler et al., 34 Snippe et al., 38 Chiodelli et al., 39 Zhang et al., 41 Varghese and Sharma, 42 Liu YL et al., 44 Alkan et al. 45	Mindfulness has been noted to have positive effects on stress, anxiety and depression, primarily mediated by emotional regulation.An inverse relationship has been observed between mindfulness and chronic anxiety, with affective reactivity as a partial mediator.Mindfulness intervention reduces negative affect and stress perception.
Hölzel et al., 23 Opialla et al., 28 Doll et al., 30 Egan et al. 33	Amygdala and pre-frontal cortex have been identified as the primary brain circuits involved in regulating emotion through the practice of mindfulness.

The review revealed that MBIs have been found effective in addressing emotional dysregulation among adolescents. These interventions have been shown to positively impact adolescents’ coping skills, emotional regulation, and neurological functioning, leading to a reduction in emotional regulation difficulties and an enhancement of self-regulation of emotions, behaviour, social development, and cognitive processes.

Mindfulness, by fostering present-moment awareness and attention, tends to improve a person’s ability to focus on specific aspects of a situation, as well as aspects of one’s own experience (e.g., body awareness), thereby fostering improved regulation of emotions.

Additionally, few studies examined the impact of specific mindfulness techniques on emotional dysregulation. Focusing attention meditation or focused breathing leads to enhancement of an individual’s levels of mindfulness, further effectively improving the emotional states.

Mindfulness and psychological well-being were found to be positively correlated to adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and an integration of mindfulness and cognitive appraisal strategies predicted improved psychological well-being.

MBIs were further found to help adolescents in reducing stress as well as other psychological concerns by enhancing awareness, attunement, and self-regulation. Mindfulness has been shown to have positive effects on depression, with emotion regulation serving as a key mediator in its impact on overall mental health. Furthermore, evidence supports the efficacy of MBIs in reducing symptoms associated with anxiety disorders.

The studies investigating the impact of MBIs on brain circuits indicated changes in neural pathways, including the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, leading to emotion regulation and promoting long-term emotional stability.

Discussion

This review aimed to address a key question: Are MBIs effective in reducing emotional dysregulation among adolescents?

Our analysis underscores the effectiveness of MBIs in reducing emotional dysregulation. Additionally, it examines other crucial aspects, like the impact of mindfulness on clinical conditions like stress, depression and anxiety among adolescents; and the neuroanatomical changes induced by mindfulness practices leading to improved emotional regulation.

The interventions have been found to positively impact adolescents’ coping skills, emotional regulation, and neurological functioning, leading to a reduction in emotional regulation difficulties and an enhancement of self-regulation of emotions, behaviour, social development, and cognitive processes. Adolescents who practice MBIs have been found to have a notable decrease in emotional dysregulation, leading to improved coping mechanisms and stress resistance.

Likewise, studies have indicated that MBIs affect the brain circuits linked to emotional regulation, promoting long-term advantages for emotional stability. ²⁶ According to neurological studies, mindfulness exercises activate the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, the brain areas which have been established to be involved in managing emotional regulation, as well as help teenagers effectively control strong emotions.^{23,26,28,30,33} Additionally, adolescents’ social relationships have been positively impacted by improved self-regulation brought about by mindfulness activities, as they are better able to manage interpersonal difficulties. To further add, improvement in cognitive functions, including executive function and attention, has also been noted, which further promotes academic achievement and emotional self-control.

The relationship between Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation can be considered to be bidirectional or reciprocal. mindfulness interventions can improve emotional regulation, and people with effective emotional regulation strategies tend to have higher mindfulness levels, as emphasised in studies.

The findings of this review suggest that MBIs are a promising approach for addressing emotional dysregulation in adolescents. These interventions have been found to enhance the ability of adolescents to cope with and regulate their emotions, leading to positive outcomes in various domains of functioning. Furthermore, they contribute to a deeper understanding of scientific advancements linking mindfulness to emotional regulation processes, given that both constructs play a significant role in supporting healthy psychological functioning.

Conclusion

The review aimed to explore and integrate the current body of research on the impact of MBIs on emotional dysregulation in adolescents. The findings suggest that MBIs have been found to reduce adolescents’ emotional dysregulation and improve emotional regulation, coping skills, as well as neurological functioning, leading to positive outcomes as well as an enhancement of self-regulation of emotions, behaviour, social development, and cognitive processes. However, further research is necessary to elucidate a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the effectiveness of these interventions, as well as their potential to serve as a preventive measure against the development of psychopathology in adolescents with emotional dysregulation.

Limitations

• A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, yet certain relevant journals in the field may not have been included.

• Article selection and data analysis were carried out exclusively by the researchers, without external validation by independent or group of reviewers.

• The selection of articles and data analysis was performed only by the researchers, without validation by an external judge or group of independent reviewers.

• Few studies included in the review had methodological weaknesses such as a lack of blinding or unclear randomisation procedures, which may affect the reliability of their outcomes.

• Most studies focused on short-term outcomes, with few including follow-up assessments. As a result, the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of MBIs for emotional regulation remain unclear.

Future Research

It is critical to have an expanded understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of these interventions and their potential to prevent the development of psychopathology in adolescents with emotional dysregulation. Additionally, the potential moderating and mediating factors that may influence the impact of MBIs can be explored.

Henceforth, future research should clearly define and articulate the conceptual and operational aspects of mindfulness and emotion regulation to enhance clarity and consistency, as well as it is quintessential to explore the relevance of MBIs across different populations.

Abbreviations

MBIs: Mindfulness-Based Interventions

MBSR: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

MBCT: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

DBT: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ED: Emotional Dysregulation

RCT: Randomised Controlled Trial

CBT: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

USA: United States of America

UK: United Kingdom

Authors’ Contribution

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Research conceptualization, data sorting, analysis, and duplication checks were conducted by NS, MA, R, SA, and DR. NS prepared the first draft of the manuscript. SA and DR assisted in preparing and formatting the manuscript in accordance with the journal’s submission requirements. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Statement of Ethics

Ethical permission was not required for the systematic review article.

ICMJE Statement

The manuscript complies with ICMJE guidelines.