title: Assessment of implicit self-esteem in bipolar manic and euthymic patients using the implicit association test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although self-esteem is thought to be an important psychological factor in bipolar disorder, little is known about implicit and explicit self-esteem in manic patients. In this study, we investigated differences in implicit and explicit self-esteem among bipolar manic patients, bipolar euthymic patients, and healthy controls using the Implicit Association Test (IAT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 19 manic patients, 27 euthymic patients, and 27 healthy controls. Participants completed a self-esteem scale to evaluate explicit self-esteem and performed the self-esteem IAT to evaluate implicit self-esteem.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences among groups in explicit self-esteem. However, there were significant differences among groups in implicit self-esteem. Manic patients had higher IAT scores than euthymic patients and a trend toward higher IAT scores than healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that, on the latent level, a manic state is not simply the opposite of a depressed state. Furthermore, there may be a discontinuity of implicit self-esteem between manic and euthymic states. These unexpected results may be due to characteristics of the study participants or the methods used to assess implicit self-esteem. Nevertheless, they provide greater insights on the psychological status of manic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, South Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Vin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Bukbu Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ra Yeon
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, South Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Jung
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyooseob
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Mental Health Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea. Electronic address: chs0225@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Hyun-Sang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult