Need for tailored treatment programs.
The new insights in emotional deficits associated with mental disorder may help patients, therapists, relatives, and friends to understand, explain, and cope with symptoms. There is an increasing emphasis on emotions in psychotherapy. So far, research has emphasized that emotion regulation is the most important dimension of emotional competence that impinges on mental health. Our results illustrate that the ability to understand emotional information is another crucial factor in healthy everyday functioning. Therefore it should receive more attention in therapy. Knowledge on disorder-specific deficits can be used to improve existing treatment and to develop new, tailored programs which integrate interventions designed to improve emotional skills. Emotional abilities are a relevant factor in health and well-being.