title: Intolerance of ambiguity and statothymia in manic-depressives.
abstract: Shimoda described praesenile melancholics (monopolar (endogenous) depressives) and manic-depressives on the level of personality traits in a very similar way as certain clinical observations and empirical studies showed. We summarized these results under the heading of a role-theoretical, emotional, and cognitive intolerance of ambiguity (IA). IA as a characteristic not only of the melancholic and manic type of personality but also of clinical phenomena of depressive and manic phases, corresponds to what Shimoda on a more structural level calls a 'sticking to ideas and feelings.' This is meant with his notion of "statothymia". Shimoda's neurophysiological theory supposes an abnormality of the excitability of affects. In our view, IA is a consequence of the special identity formation of these patients. It is a coping mechanism as well as a vulnerability factor.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Heidelberg.
authors.forename: Alfed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders; D012380:Role; D012933:Social Identification