Table 2 Strategies identified for the regulation of positive emotion across all transcripts

Situation selection

Choosing or changing a situation to initiate or maintain a positive emotion.

‘I try to fill my time with things that make me happy.’ (P14)

H = 61.52 %,L = 68.75 %

Directed attention

Choosing to focus attention in order to embrace current past or future positive emotion.

‘I sometimes tell myself how happy I am and how lucky I am to have the things I have so I kinda like it makes me more happy’ (P8)

H = 38.46 %, L = 56.25 %

Substance use

The use of substances (e.g. food, caffeine, alcohol, cannabis) to initiate or enhance positive emotion.

‘…like playing games in particular is enhanced by smoking weed because it makes you worse and that makes it funnier’ (P14)

H = 7.69 %, L = 18.75 %

Passive

No explicit action taken to alter positive emotion.

‘yeah I don’t know happiness I have never I don’t really seem to think about happy as much as I do try to get rid of negative’ (P20)

H = 30.77 %, L = 37.50 %