Emotion regulation and psychopathology

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Emotional problems are common in various clinical conditions.
• Emotion dysregulation is increasingly recognized as a key factor in these conditions.
• However, the precise nature of emotion dysregulation in psychopathology requires further specification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an extended process model of emotion regulation.
• To use this model to identify points where emotion regulation difficulties contribute to psychopathology.
• To discuss implications for research, assessment, and intervention.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and theoretical modeling.
• Analysis of emotion regulation processes.
• Integration of emotion regulation deficits with psychopathology.

Main Results:

• Emotion regulation difficulties can occur at multiple stages: identification, selection, implementation, and monitoring.
• These specific difficulties can be linked to distinct forms of psychopathology.
• An extended process model provides a framework for understanding these links.

Conclusions:

• Emotion dysregulation is a significant, but not the sole, cause of emotional problems.
• Understanding the specific deficits in emotion regulation is crucial for explaining and treating psychopathology.
• The proposed model offers a roadmap for future research and clinical interventions in emotion regulation.