APPRAISALS OF AND RESPONSES TO HYPOMANIC STATES IN BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Giurgiu, Mariana (2011) APPRAISALS OF AND RESPONSES TO HYPOMANIC STATES IN BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

There has been an increased interest in the last decade in studying the cognitive processes
that could explain the development and maintenance of bipolar affective disorder. Further
research is needed to understand the interpretations people with bipolar affective disorder
make about their energetic, positive moods and the mechanisms used to regulate their mood
states. This study investigates the presence of extreme, personalised beliefs about internal
states and cognitive strategies of positive mood regulation amongst remitted clinical
participants with a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder. The inter-relation between positive
and negative appraisals of energetic, agitated states on one hand and enhancing as well downregulating
positive mood strategies on the other hand is also explored. Remitted bipolar
participants (N= 30) were compared with healthy controls (N= 27) on measures of
interpretations of hypomanic states (Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictions Inventory,
Mansell & Sadhani, 2007) and ruminative responses in regards to positive mood (Response to
Positive Affect Questionnaire; Feldman, Joorman & Johnson, 2008). Levels of current mood
at the time of data collection were assessed. Results indicated that people with a diagnosis of
bipolar affective disorder, in a remitted phase, showed elevated levels of positive extreme
beliefs about their hypomanic states as well as higher levels of catastrophic, self-and-other
critical and loss of control beliefs than people with no history of mental health difficulties. It
was found that remitted bipolar affective participants are ambivalent about positive mood
states, engaging in both enhancing and down-regulating positive mood strategies. Tendency
to dampen positive affect was positively correlated with catastrophic and self-and-other
critical beliefs about activated states. A positive association was also found between selfactivating
beliefs and positive rumination strategies. The findings bring further evidence for
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the theory driven cognitive model developed by Mansell, Morrison, Reid, Lowens & Tai,
(2007), highlighting the importance of focusing in clinical practice on the interpretations
people with bipolar affective disorder make about their internal states and the need to
incorporate emotion regulation techniques in the treatment of this client group.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Users 2259 not found.
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2014 17:25
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2014 17:25
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/48138
DOI:

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