Emotion Regulation and Schizophrenia

Psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia have evolved over the past 20 years to target cognitive biases behind psychotic thought disorders. For many individuals, psychotic symptoms can be modified through specific cognitive and behavior strategies. Recent research suggests that individuals with schizophrenia may lack the ability to regulate their emotions and that emotion dysregulation is present at experiential, processing, and expressive levels, exacerbating the distress and social dysfunction experienced. Recent findings regarding emotional dysregalation among individuals with schizophrenia are presented and the role of emotional experience in the etiology and the development of the illness is discussed. In agreement with the published literature, we argue for the priority of emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal, exposure, acceptance, detachment, and mindfulness in cognitive behavior therapy for schizophrenia.