Age and Gender Effects on the Relationship Between Expressive Flexibility and Mental Health

Expressive flexibility, the ability to enhance or suppress emotional displays according to situational demands, is positively associated with a range of mental health outcomes. However, these associations have not been examined across both age and gender, two factors affecting emotion regulation behaviors. Our study is the first to investigate whether expressive flexibility differs across young (18–36), middle-aged (36–64), and older adults (> 64), and whether age and gender moderate associations between expressive flexibility and mental health indicators. Six hundred and twenty adults (268 young, 186 middle-aged, 156 older) completed online surveys on Amazon’s MTurk platform assessing expressive flexibility, satisfaction with life, positive affect, hope, and social support. Two-way ANOVAs revealed an interaction between age and gender in expressive flexibility variables. Young males reported highest levels of expressive flexibility, while older males reported lowest levels. Age × Gender × Expressive Flexibility or Suppression Ability interactions were significantly associated with four mental health indicators. Generally, the positive relationships between expressive flexibility and mental health indicators were strongest among young males and middle-aged females, and nonsignificant among older adults. Our findings suggest expressive flexibility and their associations with mental health indicators differ across gender and age. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.