The effects of psychodrama on emotion regulation skills in emerging adults

This study aimed to investigate the effects of psychodrama on emotion regulation skills in emerging adults. The study was conducted with a total of 27 university freshmen, including 13 participants in the experimental group and 14 participants in the control group. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and a personal information form. In the experimental group, psychodrama therapy was delivered once a week at 180 min per week for 20 weeks. This study uses a mixed method with explanatory sequential design that includes both qualitative and quantitative assessments. Quantitative data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA for mixed measures, and qualitative data were used for content analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicate that cognitive reappraisal of participants in the experimental group increased while suppression decreased compared to the controls. The follow-up assessment revealed that the increase in cognitive reappraisal scores and the decrease in suppression scores persisted after three months.