Is a low Emotional Intelligence (EQ) pathological?
Shortly , a low EQ is not a sufficient condition to diagnose a mental psychiatric disorder.

This is the DSM-V Proposal for the Definition of Mental/Psychiatric Disorder


All these features have to be satisfied in order to diagnose a Psychopathology. Having said that, a low emotional intelligence is a risk factor to contract a Mental Disease. According to Eisenberg (1995), our mind is influenced by biological and social factors and we shouldn't embrace simplifying approaches.

Finally, a good psychiatrist has to consider four perspectives from which to view a psychopathology:

1) The disease perspective: in which patient is identified whith his illness

2) The behavior perspective: which looks at the behavior of the patient

3) The dimensional perspective: which looks at cognitive and emotional dimensions of the patient

4) The life story perspective: which looks at the life story of the patient

References


Dan J. Stein, Katharine A. Phillips, Derek Bolton, K.W.M Fulford, John Z. Sadler, and Kenneth S. Kendler "What is a Mental/Psychiatric Disorder? From DSM-IV to DSM-V"
Eisenberg L. The social construction of the human brain , "Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152: 1563-75