Emeritus Professor David H. Barlow has been studying classification systems for mental health problems for decades. He has been highly critical of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), the most common diagnostic catalogue of psychiatric conditions in North America, in part because the categories are not derived with empirical science. In recent years, he developed a more statistically rigorous, transdiagnostic approach to classification and proposed the term Emotional Disorders to group anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and related conditions.
His rationale stems from research showing that these disorders share significant overlap in symptoms, underlying emotional processes, and treatment responses. Instead of addressing each diagnosis with a disorder-specific protocol, he recommends that therapies focus on core dysfunctions, streamlining treatment and making it broadly applicable to various emotional disorders (Barlow et al., 2011). This classification simplifies conceptualization and treatment, emphasizing emotional processes rather than discrete diagnostic categories.
Barlow’s research highlights that individuals struggling with Emotional Disorders share common characteristics:
1. Sensitive Nervous Systems
At the heart of emotional disorders is an exaggerated response to emotional stimuli. Individuals with these conditions tend to experience emotions more intensely and quickly than others. This heightened reactivity often leads to feelings of overwhelm and an inability to tolerate distress. For example, a person with generalized anxiety disorder may experience disproportionate worry or fear in response to minor uncertainties, while someone with depression may have an amplified experience of sadness in response to perceived rejection.
2. Aversion to Emotional Experiences
Emotional disorders are often perpetuated by negative interpretations of emotional experiences or external events. Individuals may view emotions as dangerous, intolerable, or signs of personal failure. For instance, someone with panic disorder may catastrophize physical sensations like a racing heart, interpreting them as signs of an impending heart attack. These maladaptive appraisals not only intensify emotional distress but also drive behaviors that maintain the cycle of avoidance and symptom escalation.
3. Avoidant Coping Strategies
Another hallmark of emotional disorders is difficulty managing and modulating emotions effectively. Many individuals rely on avoidance, suppression, or other maladaptive strategies that worsen symptoms over time. For instance, avoiding feared situations may provide short-term relief from anxiety but ultimately reinforces the fear and limits opportunities for adaptive coping. Similarly, suppressing sadness or anger can lead to emotional exhaustion and increased vulnerability to depressive episodes.
Barlow’s transdiagnostic approach to emotional disorders helps simplify and streamline psychotherapy. By addressing the shared emotional processes underlying anxiety, depression, and related conditions we can be less pre-occupied with diagnostic labels and focus more developing adaptive skills for working with our emotional experiences, thereby fostering flexibility and resilience across a range of challenges.