Increased rates of events that activate or deactivate the behavioral approach system, but not events related to goal attainment, in bipolar spectrum disorders.
Research indicates that life events involving goal attainment and goal striving trigger hypomania/mania and that negative life events trigger bipolar depression. These findings are consistent with the behavioral approach system (BAS) dysregulation model of bipolar disorders, which suggests that individuals with bipolar disorders are hypersensitive to cues signaling opportunity for reward and cues signaling failure and loss of rewards. However, no studies to date have investigated whether individuals with bipolar spectrum disorders experience increased rates of these BAS-relevant life events, which would place them at double risk for developing bipolar episodes. The present study found that individuals with bipolar II disorder and cyclothymia experience increased rates of BAS-activating and BAS-deactivating, but not goal-attainment, life events. Finally, for bipolar spectrum individuals only, BAS-activating events predicted BAS-deactivating events' rates.
Urosević
Snezana
S
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, N218 Elliott Hall, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55408, USA. snezana.urosevic@gmail.com
Abramson
Lyn Y
LY
Alloy
Lauren B
LB
Nusslock
Robin
R
Harmon-Jones
Eddie
E
Bender
Rachel
R
Hogan
Michael E
ME
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003527:Cyclothymic Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult