Cross-lagged Analysis of Relationship between Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy and Mental Health in Adolescents Hai Man1,2,3, Xiong Junmei1,3 （1 School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079;2 Shiyan City Experimental Middle School，442000）;3 Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430079） Abstract: During the past two decades, a body of research has shown that affective self-regulatory efficacy plays an important role in students’ psychological functioning. High affective self-regulatory efficacy is often accompanied by more prosocial behavior and low involvement in delinquency and depression. In addition, the specific affective self-regulatory efficacy [i.e., self-efficacy to regulate positive emotion, perceived self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation (ANG), and perceived self-efficacy in managing despondency/distress (DES)] may play different roles in different mental health indicators. But there is a lack of research on the relations between ANG and mental health, and DES and mental health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the relations between the three types of affective self-regulatory efficacy and mental health. Procedures: The study followed the consent procedure. The school leaders, class supervisors and parents of participants were contacted to get their permission for students to take part in the survey. Participants took part in the survey on a voluntary basis. In September 2013 and January 2014, the Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale, the Adolescent Problem Behavior Scale, the Anxiety/Depression Subscale of Achenbach Adolescent Behavior Checklist, the Life Satisfaction Scale were administered to 531 junior and senior high school students. Cross-lagged models were used to explore the reciprocal relations between affective self-regulatory efficacy (self-efficacy to regulate positive emotion, perceived self-efficacy in managing despondency/distress, perceived self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation) and mental health (problem behaviors, depression, and life satisfaction). The results indicated that: (1) The Paired t-test revealed that from T1 to T2, there was no significant change in students' perceived self-efficacy in expressing positive affect, perceived self-efficacy in managing despondency/distress, externalizing problems，or life satisfaction, but perceived self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation（t=-0.13, p<0.01）decreased significantly. (2) perceived self-efficacy in expressing positive affect at T1 did not predict problem behaviors, anxiety/depression or life satisfaction at T2; but the perceived self-efficacy in managing despondency/distress at T1 significantly predicted depression at T2(γ=-0.11，SE=0.04，p<0.05), and life satisfaction and depression at T1 significantly predicted perceived self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation at T2(γ=0.18，SE=0.09，p<0.01; γ=-0.10，SE=0.12，p<0.05). Conclusion: Students’ perceived self-efficacy in managing despondency/distress and perceived self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation have different relationships with mental health indicators: adolescents with high levels of perceived self-efficacy in managing despondency/distress may have low levels of depression, and low levels of life satisfaction and high levels of depression may lead to low levels of perceived self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation. Therefore, perceived self-efficacy in managing anger/irritation is more likely to be affected by poor mental health. Implications for practice are discussed: A better understanding of the reciprocal relationship between emotional regulatory self-efficacy and mental health can help school psychologists design more appropriate intervention programs to enhance adolescents’ mental health. Key words: Affective self-regulatory efficacy, Anxiety/Depression, Life Satisfaction, Problem behaviors, Adolescent.