Objective To discuss the pathogenic characteristics of different emotions in the development of mental diseases. Methods Four hundred and thirty four mental disease patients and fifty ordinary people were asked to fill in a questionnaire of emotional experience with outline-style homework. Nvivo 10 was used to query the five minds of happiness

rage

thought

sorrow and fear in the outline homework. The frequency of words related to emotions and the frequency of related words in the textual data were calculated. Results A total of 343 questionnaires were included in the study. There were 41 cases in the general group

36 cases in the insomnia group

99 cases in the depression group

21 cases in the somatoform disorder group

60 cases in the anxiety group

21 cases in the schizophrenia group

33 cases in the obsessive-compulsive disorder group and 32 cases in the other disease group. The frequency of "sorrow"words in the general group was lower than that in the insomnia group

depression group

anxiety group and the other disease group（ P < 0. 01）. The frequency of "happiness"words in the ordinary group was higher than that in the other groups（ P < 0. 05）. The frequency of"sorrow"words in the obsessive-compulsive disorder group was lower than that in the insomnia group

depression group

anxiety group and the other disease group（ P < 0. 05）. The frequency of "sorrow"words in the insomnia group was higher than that in the somatoform disorder group and obsessivecompulsive disorder group（ P < 0. 05）. The frequency of "fear"in the anxiety group and obsessive-compulsive disorder group were higher than those in the insomnia group and depression group（ P < 0. 05）. The frequency of "fear"in the schizophrenia group was lower than that in the anxiety group

obsessive-compulsive disorder group and the other disease group（ P < 0. 05）. The frequency of "fear"in the schizophrenia group and somatoform disorder group were higher than those in the anxiety group（ P < 0. 05）. Conclusio In the emotional experience of general people

"happiness"seems to take the advantage. In the mental disease patients

"rage"and "sorrow"seem to take the advantage. In the schizophrenia patients

"happiness"and "rage"seem to take the advantage. In the insomnia patients and depression patients

"sorrow "seems to take the advantage. In the anxiety patients and obsessive-compulsive disorder patients

"fear"seems to take the advantage.