A majority of studies conducted in Western cultures suggest that emotion suppression has a negative effect on physical and psychological health. However, recent studies indicate that such negative effects may differ depending on one’s self-construal. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of emotion suppression on physical and depressive symptoms and to determine if self-construal moderates this effect in a community adult sample in Korea. Results demonstrated that emotion suppression significantly affected participants’ physical as well as depressive symptoms. Independent self-construal showed a significant moderating effect only on the relationship between emotion suppression and physical symptoms. Whereas previous studies conducted with Koreans failed to examine the significant effect of emotion suppression on individuals’ adjustment, the results of this study demonstrated the effects of emotion suppression in Koreans. The results highlight the role of independent self-construal in explaining the effect of emotion suppression on physical health.
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