Self-discrepancy in students with bipolar disorder II or NOS.
BACKGROUND
Studies on self-representation in bipolar disorder have mainly focused on the single dimension of self-esteem and recruited patients either in episode or in remission. The aim of the study was to examine multi-dimensional aspects of the self (discrepancy between actual- and ideal-selves and between actual- and feared-selves) in a student sample with a history of significant experience of hypomania (with or without experience of major depression) as compared to healthy control students.


METHODS
Bipolar students and healthy control students completed the Self-Discrepancy Questionnaire (SDQ: Carver, Lawrence, & Scheier, 1999). The degree of similarity to, and the perceived likelihood of ideal-self and feared-self characteristics were assessed.


RESULTS
The difference between the groups in level of ideal-self similarity was at trend level. Students with prior hypomania but no history of depression showed higher similarity to their feared-self than healthy controls and also rated themselves as more likely to have these feared-self characteristics in the future.


CONCLUSIONS
The small sample size, especially in the bipolar group with no history of depression, limits the power of the study.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of ideal-self discrepancy was not convincingly demonstrated in this sample and it is possible that where it has been identified in previous studies it may, at least in part, represent a scar of previous episodes of depression or mania rather than a predisposing factor. However a sub-sample of students who had experienced hypomania in the absence of history of depression were distinguished from healthy controls in perceived closeness to the feared-self qualities. The feared-self concept warrants further investigation in bipolar patients.
Alatiq
Y
Y
University of Oxford, Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK. yalatiq@gmail.com
Crane
C
C
Williams
J M G
JM
Goodwin
G M
GM
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003527:Cyclothymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires