Emotional granularity in health and psychopathology: A scoping review

Abstract

Background: Evidence from basic affective science indicates that Emotional Granularity (EG), the ability to recognize, distinguish, and articulate experienced emotions in fine-grained categories, has important functional implications, with lower EG associated with poorer functioning. Reviews of the literature on EG to date have focused on specific domains or narrow populations. However, no comprehensive review has systematically mapped its transdiagnostic relevance across both clinical and non-clinical populations. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review to map key themes and synthesize findings on EG as it relates to health and psychopathology.

Methods: Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for EG-relevant research articles related to health and psychopathology.

Results: Ninety-eight EG-related, peer-reviewed articles were identified, with five key themes documenting: 1) biological correlates; 2) psychological functioning; 3) developmental characteristics; 4) clinical populations and psychopathology; and 5) therapeutic interventions.

Conclusion: Overall, higher EG has been found to be robustly associated with a range of biological and psychological indicators, pointing to enhanced social and functional outcomes. Relatedly, compared to non-clinical populations, individuals with diverse psychopathologies and clinical states displayed lower EG, including individuals with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use, schizophrenia, PTSD, personality disorders, and eating disorders. Overall, our review highlights EG as a key transdiagnostic indicator of emotional complexity that is closely linked to multiple domains of neurobiology, functioning, and psychopathology. We discuss the implications of the findings to future research and the development of clinical interventions.

Keywords: Affective functioning; Emotion differentiation; Emotional complexity; Emotional granularity; Mental disorders; Psychopathology.