Upward spirals of positive emotions counter downward spirals of negativity: insights from the broaden-and-build theory and affective neuroscience on the treatment of emotion dysfunctions and deficits in psychopathology.
Clinical Psychology Review November 1, 2010 Eric L Garland, Barbara Fredrickson, Ann M Kring et al.
Positive emotions broaden cognition and build durable resources that support coping and flourishing mental health. Momentary emotional experiences can accrue into self-perpetuating systems, producing lasting affective dispositions. This framework explains cognitive-emotional mechanisms in depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation are highlighted as interventions that generate positive emotions to counter negative affective processes in these disorders. The review proposes that positive emotions may counteract dysphoric, fearful, or anhedonic states characteristic of psychopathologies with emotional dysfunctions.