ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2016, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (1): 66-72.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2016.00066

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Emotional complexity and psychiatric symptoms: Influential mechanisms and intervention

WANG Man1; HUANG Min-Er1; XIE Yong-Biao2   

  1. (1 Department of Psychology, Sun Yet-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China)
    (2 The people’s Hospital of Guangdong Province; The Department of Medical Science in Guangdong
    Province; Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangzhou 510120, China)
  • Received:2015-06-19 Online:2016-01-15 Published:2016-01-15
  • Contact: HUANG Min-Er, E-mail: edshme@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Emotional complexity refers to the variety and differentiation of individuals’ emotional experiences. Emotional complexity may play an important role in the development of psychiatric symptoms. It may affect psychiatric symptoms by changing the frequency and extent of emotion regulation strategies, and by moderating the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and psychiatric symptoms. Interventions based on emotional complexity can enhance the efficacy of exposure therapy. Mindfulness can improve emotional complexity, but it probably bases on different mechanisms. Future research should focus on the multiple assessments, the moderators and neuropsychological mechanisms of emotion complexity.

Key words: emotional complexity, psychiatric symptom, emotion regulation, emotional awareness, emotion differentiation