“I always told myself I would be the best on my team”: Agency and ER Strategies Through Children’s Eyes

The number of Dutch children who require psychological help keeps growing, and therefore, it is essential to consider their perspective on improving their mental and physical health. The concept of agency contributes to how children experience their health; allowing children to express agency can positively impact their well-being and increase their health (Robertson et al., 2015). The current study aimed to explore and map the role of agency and Emotion Regulation (ER) in children's (10-12 years) view on improving their mental and physical health. This was done using a thematic analysis process of the transcripts. The thematic analysis was conducted on data from previously conducted focus groups on children’s views on health. The results showed several vital themes identified from the data. The central concept of agency was found in children’s constant attempt/wish to change their feelings and thoughts. Within this central concept, three different approaches to ER were identified: ...Show moreThe number of Dutch children who require psychological help keeps growing, and therefore, it is essential to consider their perspective on improving their mental and physical health. The concept of agency contributes to how children experience their health; allowing children to express agency can positively impact their well-being and increase their health (Robertson et al., 2015). The current study aimed to explore and map the role of agency and Emotion Regulation (ER) in children's (10-12 years) view on improving their mental and physical health. This was done using a thematic analysis process of the transcripts. The thematic analysis was conducted on data from previously conducted focus groups on children’s views on health. The results showed several vital themes identified from the data. The central concept of agency was found in children’s constant attempt/wish to change their feelings and thoughts. Within this central concept, three different approaches to ER were identified: “self-talk”, “practical solutions”, and “seeking support”. Especially “self-talk” was often mentioned by the children. The children's different approaches were found to be ways to apply one of three adaptive ER strategies: “reappraisal”, “acceptance”, or “problem-solving”. Children applied these strategies directly or indirectly. Although this study adds knowledge to the understanding of agency in children, much remains to be discovered about agency and its relationship with ER strategies. Follow-up research should be done to gain further insights into the role of agency in improving children’s health, with a particular focus on self-talk and seeking distraction.Show less

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“I always told myself I would be the best on my team”: Agency and ER Strategies Through Children’s Eyes