Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Abstract

It has widely been acknowledged that many psychological disorders involve difficulties with emotion regulation. However, the majority of this work has focused on difficulties regulating negative emotion. Using the process model of emotion regulation as a guiding framework, this chapter illustrates the regulation of positive emotional experience in social anxiety disorder. For many people, interpersonal situations are some of the most meaningful and pleasurable in life. However, for individuals with social anxiety disorder, interpersonal situations often are more stressful and terrifying than they are meaningful and pleasurable. As a consequence, individuals with social anxiety disorder have poorer relationships and fewer social connections. This chapter first briefly reviews general features of emotion regulation and then considers emotion and emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder specifically. We then summarize the role of positive emotion and the regulation of positive emotional experience in social anxiety disorder. The chapter also discusses implications for assessment and treatment.