Evaluating an online self-distancing intervention to promote emotional regulation and posttraumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives: Three online studies were conducted to elucidate the role of emotional regulation (ER) in posttraumatic growth (PTG), evaluate the ability of an online self-distancing intervention to achieve ER, and test whether increasing the use of ER strategies promotes PTG. Design: Cross-sectional (Study 1) and longitudinal randomized controlled trials (RCT) (Studies 2 and 3). Method: In Study 1, 626 adults completed measures of ER, PTG, and psychosocial functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 2, 149 adults participated in a five-week RCT comparing self-immersed, spatially self-distanced, and temporally self-distanced reflection in their ability to regulate negative affect. In Study 3, 117 adults replicated the RCT of Study 2 and completed the measures from Study 1 a week pre- and post-intervention. Results: Path analyses confirmed that ER strategies were relevant to COVID-19-related PTG. MANOVAs revealed that self-distancing was effective in regulating state negative affect. However, ANOVAs suggest that this was not due to increased use of ER strategies and did not improve PTG or psychosocial functioning. Conclusions: These findings support further research into the relevance of ER to PTG, and provide a foundation to understand PTG and develop PTG-promoting interventions within a broader stress-coping framework.