The present study explored the interrelations between cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) and depressive symptoms to better understand how young adults with childhood maltreatment (CM) are more prone to depression after recent stressful events.

The sample consisted of 342 young adults (M = 19.51 years, range = 17–28 years, 64% female) who had experienced stressful events in the last six months. Network analysis was used to examine the interrelations between nine CERS and four depressive symptom clusters in exposed (‘CM’; n = 182) and not exposed to CM groups (‘non-CM’; n = 160).

We found that somatic symptoms, rumination, putting into perspective, and catastrophizing had high expected influence (EI) in the whole sample network. Global and local connectivity differed between the CM and non-CM groups. More specifically, the structure of the CM network had higher overall connectivity than the structure of the non-CM network. Considering local connectivity, depressed affect, rumination, positive refocusing, and putting into perspective had marginally significantly higher levels of EI in the CM network. We found some significant differences in partial correlations among CERS, such as stronger positive correlations between positive refocusing-catastrophizing, rumination-refocus on planning, and putting into perspective-blaming others in the CM group.

This study was cross-sectional and limited by the use of retrospective self-report tools.

The findings shed light on the complex interrelations between CERS and depressive symptoms in the context of recent stressful events. Additionally, they highlight potential directions for population-based interventions.