Dysregulated negative emotional state

What it means

An emotional state characterized by excessive, persistent, or contextually inappropriate negative inner experiences involving emotional arousal and valence. These experiences are often associated with negative perceptions of the self, the future, the past, or the surrounding environment, and may include affective bias such as interpreting neutral or ambiguous stimuli as negative. The intensity, duration, or impact of the state exceeds what would be expected for the individual based on their baseline emotional functioning, the context, cultural norms, or situational triggers, or when it persists despite efforts at self-regulation.

Manifestations may be conveyed through self-report or observed through behavior, allowing applicability across the lifespan and in individuals with limited verbal communication. This term refers to an observed negative emotional state rather than enduring traits of personality or temperament.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Feeling out of sorts · Foul mood · Gloomy mood · In a funk · Mood dysregulation · Negative attitude