A tale of two diatheses: Temperament, BIS, and BAS as risk factors for mood disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Learning more about how biological traits, like temperament and sensitivity in the behavioral inhibition (BIS) and behavioral activation (BAS) systems, relate to mood pathology is consistent with the Research Domain Criteria initiative׳s goal of investigating mechanisms of risk.


METHODS
Korean young adults (n=128) and American young adults (n=630, of whom 23 has recent treatment for bipolar disorder, and 21for depression) completed self-report questionnaires, including the TEMPS-A, the BIS/BAS scales, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Hypomanic Checklist (HCL-32). Linear regression quantified relations between mood symptoms, sample characteristics, temperament, and BIS/BAS.


RESULTS
Temperament styles explained 49% of the variance in BDI scores. BIS explained an additional 1% of the variance in BDI scores. BAS Fun and Reward (p<.01), in addition to cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments (p<.001) explained 21% of the variance in HCL-32 scores. Sample characteristics were not significant predictors in the full model.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in sample size, the cross-sectional study design, and lack of collateral report or behavioral measures of constructs are limitations.


CONCLUSIONS
Affective temperament and BIS/BAS are complementary but distinct constructs. Affective temperament, particularly cyclothymic, may represent a stronger diathesis for mood pathology, and seems potent irrespective of culture or diagnosis. Assessing temperament may help overcome some challenges in diagnosing mood disorders.
Ferkauf Graduate School, Yeshiva University, United States.
Anna R
AR
Van Meter
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.
Eric A
EA
Youngstrom
D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D010551:Personality; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
Behavioral activation; Behavioral inhibition; Bipolar disorder; Diagnosis; Mood disorder; Temperament