Complex Emotions

The Complex Emotions Hub is focused on improving the understanding and care of individuals who experience complex emotional difficulties, such as difficulty managing relationships, emotional regulation, and impulsivity.

The Complex Emotions Hub is based in Sheffield and led by Professor Scott Weich.

Research

Sometimes these difficulties in managing emotions can lead people to turn to coping strategies that may be damaging for them, such as using substances or self harming. These symptoms are often associated with diagnoses like Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (cPTSD). These can be stigmatising and are often misunderstood in healthcare settings. Because these labels can be associated with a lot of stigma, this can lead to people being excluded from mental health services, which means that having this diagnosis can cause harm to people. Additionally, because there are many possible ways these difficulties can present, some people question whether their diagnosis is useful or accurate.

This Hub's goal is to examine these experiences from a compassionate, inclusive perspective, considering both the effects of trauma and the controversies around current diagnoses and treatments. Through a multi-stage research process, this hub aims to explore the real-life experiences of those living with complex emotions, including those with and without a diagnosis. The research will focus on understanding how experiences in everyday life trigger intense emotions or feelings, and may cause people to harm themselves.

For example, one study will collect in depth insights using interview methods. Another study uses a method called ecological momentary analysis (EMA) and involves wearing a smartwatch and answering short questions when prompted by a smartphone app a few times a day, for three weeks. The hub will also look at anonymous electronic health records to try to predict which types of emotions could lead to persistent or worse problems over time, to help find more precise ways of helping more who experience these.

How do people with lived experience work with the Hub?

The research team includes researchers with lived experience and a diverse Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) who guide the research process, helping ensure the hub's work remains relevant, respectful, and beneficial to those it seeks to serve.

This hub aims to develop and test new approaches for supporting individuals and professionals in managing complex emotions. This includes designing more effective treatments, fostering supportive clinician-patient relationships, and creating targeted training for healthcare providers. By working with experts by experience, this hub aspires to shape a more inclusive approach to mental health care, particularly for those with complex emotional needs.