Mood Stability and Instability in Bipolar Disorder
Author Information
Author(s): Emily A. Holmes, Catherine Deeprose, Christopher G. Fairburn, Sophie M.A. Wallace-Hadrill, Michael B. Bonsall, John R. Geddes, Guy M. Goodwin
Primary Institution: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford
Hypothesis
Patients with bipolar disorder will score higher on mental imagery measures than a matched healthy control group.
Conclusion
Patients with bipolar disorder showed higher levels of mental imagery use, particularly those with unstable moods, which correlated with their anxiety and depression levels.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with bipolar disorder had significantly higher scores for general mental imagery use compared to healthy controls.
- Patients with unstable mood had higher levels of intrusive prospective imagery.
- Intrusive imagery correlated highly with current levels of anxiety and depression.
Takeaway
People with bipolar disorder often imagine things more vividly than others, especially when their mood is unstable, which can make them feel more anxious or depressed.
Methodology
Participants included 23 patients with bipolar disorder and matched healthy controls, assessed using various mental imagery measures and mood stability ratings over 6 months.
Potential Biases
The sample was opportunistic, which may limit generalizability.
Limitations
The sample was small and may not represent all individuals with bipolar disorder, and the control group had low levels of depressive symptoms.
Participant Demographics
23 patients with bipolar disorder, divided into stable (11) and unstable (12) mood groups.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
[6.88, 19.70]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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