The psychological associations with emotionalism were examined, 1 month after stroke, in 448 stroke survivors who met inclusion criteria for a randomised trial of psychological treatment. One hundred and one (21.5%) patients had emotionalism. Thirty eight (38%) of those with emotionalism had a clinically significant mood disorder, compared with 64 of 347 (18%) of those without emotionalism. Emotionalism was associated with 10 other psychiatric syndromes, the presence of most of which could be accounted for by the coexistence of depression with emotionalism. In a logistic regression analysis, irritability and ideas of reference were associated with emotionalism after adjustment for the presence of depression. These psychological associations with emotionalism may be incorporated into a psychological model of emotionalism as a disorder of emotional control, and they may help in the understanding of the socially disabling effects of this common condition.