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Do positive emotions predict symptomatic change in bipolar disorder?
Author(s) -
Gruber June,
Culver Jenifer L,
Johnson Sheri L,
Nam Jennifer Y,
Keller Kristine L,
Ketter Terence A
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
bipolar disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.285
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1399-5618
pISSN - 1398-5647
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2009.00679.x
Subject(s) - bipolar disorder , mania , psychology , mood , clinical psychology , depression (economics) , apathy , amusement , hypomania , psychiatry , cognition , psychotherapist , economics , macroeconomics
Objectives: Bipolar disorder is associated with positive emotion disturbance, though it is less clear which specific positive emotions are affected. Methods: The present study examined differences among distinct positive emotions in recovered bipolar disorder (BD) patients (n = 55) and nonclinical controls (NC) (n = 32) and whether they prospectively predicted symptom severity in patients with BD. At baseline, participants completed self‐report measures of several distinct trait positive emotions. Structured assessments of diagnosis and current mood symptoms were obtained for BD participants. At a six‐month follow‐up, a subset of BD participants’ (n = 39) symptoms were reassessed. Results: BD participants reported lower joy, compassion, love, awe, and contentment compared to NC participants. BD and NC participants did not differ in pride or amusement. For BD participants, after controlling for baseline symptom severity, joy and amusement predicted increased mania severity, and compassion predicted decreased mania severity at the six‐month follow‐up. Furthermore, amusement predicted increased depression severity and pride predicted decreased severity of depression. Awe, love, and contentment did not predict symptom severity. Conclusions: These results are consistent with a growing literature highlighting the importance of positive emotion in the course of bipolar disorder.