Silver Linings in Psychological Disorders: Integrating the Positives into Psychopathology Research

Conventional research on people with psychological disorders is negatively focused, concentrating on what is aberrant and harmful about psychopathology. Characterizing patterns of emotional and behavioral disturbances has helped illuminate the origins of psychopathology and led to useful treatments. Yet we argue that the conventional approach to psychopathology is factually incomplete and may also inadvertently perpetuate the deeply entrenched stigma surrounding mental disorders. In this review, we make the case for considering the positive experiences of people with psychopathology –silver linings– and integrating them into psychopathology research. In our research agenda for studying Silver Linings in Psychopathology (SLIPs), we acknowledge that psychopathology may afford individuals both sources of difficulty and opportunities for positive transformation. SLIPs are illustrated in social, cognitive, and resilience domains. We close by considering implications for future research promoting a more balanced conceptualization of psychopathology.