Do positive emotions predict symptomatic change in bipolar disorder?
OBJECTIVE
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.
Gruber
June
J
Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 2205 Tolman Hall #1650, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650, USA. june@berkeley.edu
Culver
Jenifer L
JL
Johnson
Sheri L
SL
Nam
Jennifer Y
JY
Keller
Kristine L
KL
Ketter
Terence A
TA
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales