title: A three-year longitudinal study of affective temperaments and risk for psychopathology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Affective temperaments are presumed to underlie bipolar psychopathology. The TEMPS-A has been widely used to assess affective temperaments in clinical and non-clinical samples. Cross-sectional research supports the association of affective temperaments and mood psychopathology; however, longitudinal research examining risk for the development of bipolar disorders is lacking. The present study examined the predictive validity of affective temperaments, using the TEMPS-A, at a three-year follow-up assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study interviewed 112 participants (77% of the original sample) at a three-year follow-up of 145 non-clinically ascertained young adults psychometrically at-risk for bipolar disorders, who previously took part in a cross-sectional examination of affective temperaments and mood psychopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the reassessment, 29 participants (26%) met criteria for bipolar spectrum disorders, including 13 participants who transitioned into disorders during the follow-up period (14% of the originally undiagnosed sample). Cyclothymic/irritable and hyperthymic temperaments predicted both total cases and new cases of bipolar spectrum disorders at the follow-up. Cyclothymic/irritable temperament was associated with more severe outcomes, including DSM-IV-TR bipolar disorders, bipolar spectrum psychopathology, major depressive episodes, and substance use disorders. Hyperthymic temperament was associated with bipolar spectrum psychopathology and hypomania, whereas dysthymic temperament was generally unassociated with psychopathology and impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present sample of young adults is still young relative to the age of onset of mood psychopathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide the first evidence of the predictive validity of affective temperaments regarding risk for the development of bipolar psychopathology. Affective temperaments provide a useful construct for understanding bipolar psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Daniella P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: DeGeorge
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Molly A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA; Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Sant Pere Claver-Fundació Sanitària, Barcelona, Spain; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Neus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barrantes-Vidal
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA. Electronic address: t_kwapil@uncg.edu.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kwapil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003527:Cyclothymic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D011599:Psychopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013694:Temperament; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Affective temperament; Bipolar disorder; Bipolar spectrum; TEMPS-A