Emerging Adulthood in Urban Higher Educational Hubs of a Developing Nation: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Emotions, Distress, and Well-Being

India’s vast youth population provides a unique lens to explore emotion regulation and mental health, which remain underexplored despite their importance. This study, the first of its kind, examines post-COVID cognitive reappraisal (CR), expressive suppression (ES), and their broader mental health interconnections among young adults. 1,628 participants (aged 18–29) from higher educational institutions in India's Tier-1 cities were assessed using the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). Variations in emotion regulation and impact on mental health were analysed across gender, age, city, and zones using t-tests and ANOVA. Significant gender differences in emotion regulation and mental health were found. Although females reported more usage of CR compared to males, they experienced greater distress. CR varied across gender, age groups, cities, and zones. CR correlated with better well-being, whereas ES correlated with distress. Alarmingly, 42% of participants exhibited medium to high levels of ES, indicating a pressing psychological crisis that could have devastating effects on the emotional well-being and mental health of young adults. Findings highlight the urgent need for Interventions promoting mental health awareness and emotion management techniques for young adults' overall well-being, especially in higher educational landscapes.