Cognitive emotion regulation in euthymic bipolar disorder.
BACKGROUND
Based on findings indicating increased stress reactivity and prolonged stress recovery in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), it has been proposed that emotion regulation (ER) deficits lie at the core of this disorder. Recent studies show an increased use of maladaptive ER strategies and a decreased use of adaptive ER strategies in BD. Whether this pattern is merely a correlate of affective episodes or might be a stable characteristic of BD, however, remains to be explored. In addition, it is unclear whether these deficits in ER are specific to people with a history of BD.


METHODS
We examined whether euthymic BD individuals differ from healthy controls (HC) and individuals with a history of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with respect to the cognitive ER strategies they habitually use (CERQ) in response to negative affect. The sample consisted of 42 bipolar patients, 43 patients with MDD and 39 HC.


RESULTS
Compared to HC, euthymic BD and MDD individuals reported increased use of rumination, catastrophizing, and self-blame alongside decreased use of positive reappraisal, and putting into perspective. No differences were found between BD and MDD groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings are based on self-reports reflecting the habitual use of ER-strategies. The use of more objective methods and the examination of the spontaneous use of ER-strategies in euthymic BD would be desirable.


CONCLUSIONS
Deficits in the habitual use of ER strategies may characterize BD and MDD individuals even outside of an acute episode and thereby play a role in the recurrence of affective disorders.
Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: larissa.wolkenstein@uni-tuebingen.de.
Larissa
L
Wolkenstein
Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Julia C
JC
Zwick
Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Martin
M
Hautzinger
Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
Jutta
J
Joormann
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report
Affective disorders; Bipolar; CERQ; Depression; Emotion regulation; Euthymic