Bridging emotion and psychopathology

Herzog, Eva (2025): Bridging emotion and psychopathology: the role of emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, and repetitive negative thinking. Dissertation, LMU München: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences

Abstract

Emotion-related processes are closely associated with psychopathology. A critical question in psychological research is whether deficits in emotional intelligence (EI), emotion regulation (ER), and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) function as transdiagnostic mechanisms across disorders or whether they exhibit disorder-specific patterns. However, prior research has primarily relied on global measures, overlooking the potential for subdimensional variations within EI and ER. Additionally, there has been limited exploration into how comorbidities contribute to the severity and manifestation of ER difficulties and RNT. This dissertation addresses these gaps by examining these constructs in clinical and subclinical populations through three empirical studies. Study I investigated trait EI and its subdimensions (Well-being, Self-control, Emotionality, and Sociability) in individuals with depression, anxiety disorders, and insomnia, compared to non-clinical controls. The findings confirmed significantly lower trait EI scores across all clinical groups, supporting the transdiagnostic relevance of EI deficits. However, disorder-specific differences emerged: individuals with depression and anxiety-related disorders showed lower Self-control compared to those with insomnia, and individuals with depression exhibited lower Well-being than those with insomnia. These findings highlight the potential of moving beyond global EI scores to identify disorder-specific emotional profiles. Study II examined ER difficulties and RNT in clinical groups, including individuals with depression, anxiety disorders, and comorbid conditions, to determine whether all ER difficulties are transdiagnostic or whether certain subdimensions exhibit disorder-specific patterns. The results confirmed elevated ER difficulties and RNT across all clinical groups compared to controls, indicating their shared relevance in psychopathology. However, specific ER difficulties—nonacceptance of emotions, difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior, impulse control difficulties, and limited access to ER strategies—were more pronounced in comorbid cases, whereas lack of emotional clarity and awareness remained equally impaired across all clinical groups, independent of comorbidity. Findings on the role of comorbidity severity were inconclusive, as the number of diagnoses did not predict a linear increase in ER deficits or RNT severity. This suggests that disorder-specific factors, rather than comorbidity per se, may contribute to these emotion-related dysfunctions. Study III explored whether ability EI, ER, and RNT mediate the effects of physical activity (PA) on state anxiety in a subclinical sample. Although PA led to a reduction in state anxiety, these effects did not significantly differ from those in the control condition, and no mediation effects were found for ability EI, ER, or RNT. These findings raise theoretical and methodological questions regarding the sensitivity of the employed measures and the potential need for more sustained interventions to detect meaningful changes in emotional processes. Taken together, this dissertation provides new evidence into the transdiagnostic and disorder-specific relevance of EI, ER, and RNT in psychopathology. By incorporating subdimensional analyses, it highlights the potential benefits of refining clinical assessments and intervention strategies. The findings indicate that routine assessment of EI, ER, and RNT—particularly at the subdimensional level—could enhance diagnostic precision and inform personalized treatment approaches. Furthermore, these results highlight the potential value of considering both comorbidity effects and disorder-specific patterns when evaluating emotion-related processes in clinical settings. Although findings from Study III suggest that the role of PA in improving emotional functioning remains inconclusive, future research should explore long-term effects, alternative intervention designs, and how EI, ER, and RNT interact within treatment settings. Overall, this dissertation advances the understanding of emotion-related processes as transdiagnostic and disorder-specific mechanisms in mental health, reinforcing the importance of a differentiated and theoretically grounded approach in future research and clinical practice.

• Item Type: Theses (Dissertation, LMU Munich)
• Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Emotion Regulation, Repetitive Negative Thinking, Psychopathology, EI, ability EI, trait EI, Physical Activity, Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, Comorbidity
• Faculties: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
• Language: English
• Date of oral examination: 15. May 2025
• 1. Referee: Ehring, Thomas
• Signature of the printed copy: 0001/UMC 31967