Emotional Regulation Interventions for Children and Young Adults: A Comparative Analysis of Mindfulness, Movement, and Creative Modalities

Abstract

This review examines the developmental and therapeutic significance of emotional regulation across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood by comparing mindfulness-based, movement-based, and creative or expressive interventions. Using a structured narrative review approach, the study synthesizes developmental, neurobiological, contextual, and intervention-focused evidence drawn from diverse international settings, including African contexts, to evaluate mechanisms, outcomes, moderators, and implementation considerations. The findings indicate that emotional regulation is shaped by interacting cognitive, physiological, relational, cultural, and environmental processes that evolve across developmental stages. Mindfulness-based strategies primarily enhance attentional awareness, non-reactivity, and metacognitive control; movement-based approaches support physiological modulation, embodied awareness, behavioral activation, and social engagement; while creative modalities facilitate symbolic expression, emotional externalization, narrative processing, and relational connection. Across all three modalities, benefits extend beyond symptom reduction to emotional, behavioral, interpersonal, educational, and functional outcomes, although effectiveness varies according to age, developmental readiness, intervention intensity, cultural relevance, delivery context, participant preference, and practitioner competence. The review further identifies important limitations in the current evidence base, including methodological heterogeneity, inconsistent outcome measures, limited long-term follow-up, insufficient culturally validated instruments, and a lack of direct comparative trials. It concludes that no single modality is universally superior and that mechanism-informed, developmentally tailored, and culturally responsive multimodal approaches may offer the greatest practical value. Particular attention is warranted to accessibility, workforce preparation, family participation, and sustained transfer of regulatory skills into everyday life. Future research should prioritize adequately powered head-to-head trials, longitudinal follow-up, standardized yet culturally sensitive measurement, implementation science, and assessment of real-world functioning to strengthen the evidence base and guide scalable practice across schools, communities, families, and clinical settings.