title: The 'magic button question' for those with a mood disorder--would they wish to re-live their condition?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine any positive aspects of living with a clinical mood disorder, and indirectly address the question--"If you could live your life again, would you press the 'magic button' to experience life without a mood disorder?"
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients referred to a tertiary mood disorder facility were asked to complete a series of questionnaires pursuing detailed historical information about their mood disorder, including its 'best' and 'worst' aspects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 884 patients surveyed, 335 (38%) returned data on their mood disorder's advantages and/or disadvantages. Of these, 62.2% of the bipolar and 22.4% of the unipolar patients stated that having their condition had advantages, with the most commonly nominated consequences being increased empathy and self-awareness, enhanced relationships, a heightened appreciation of life and increased creativity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The qualitative design disallows any inferences as to the exact cause of benefits described in this study, so that we cannot conclude that the patients perceived these benefits as attributable to depression or bipolar disorder alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While some respondents may well have focussed on transient benefits associated with bipolar 'highs', analyses indicated that a distinct sub-set of both unipolar and bipolar patients experienced some benefits, arguing for introducing the principles of positive psychology into management of wellbeing plans. In essence, while mood disorders are--by definition--disabling, they may also have enabling consequences.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, University of New South Wales, and Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia. g.parker@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Blanch
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult