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Extreme Appraisals of Internal States in Bipolar I Disorder: A Multiple Control Group Study

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Abstract

Thirty individuals with Bipolar I Disorder (16 individuals had relapsed within the last 2 years; 14 individuals had remained well over this period) were hypothesized to score higher on extreme positive and negative appraisals of internal state (HAPPI; Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictions Inventory) than three control groups: remitted unipolar depression group (n = 22), and non-clinical controls with (n = 16) or without (n = 22) a history of hypomanic episodes. In partial support of the primary hypothesis, the relapsed bipolar group and the combined bipolar group scored significantly higher on the HAPPI than the unipolar group and non-clinical group when controlling for age, level of education and bipolar symptoms. It is concluded that self-reported cognitions characterize individuals with bipolar disorder, consistent with a cognitive behavioral approach to its treatment.

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Notes

  1. These pairwise comparisons also remained significant as one-way ANCOVAs controlling for age, education, activation and depression.

  2. Owing to group differences in number of episodes of depression, this analysis was repeated again for those bipolar and unipolar individuals for whom data was available on the number of depressive episodes and this variable was utilized as a further covariate in an ANCOVA; the main effect of group remained significant, F(1, 29) = 4.47, P < .05. There was insufficient power to attempt this analysis for the binary variables of utilization of medication; utilization of psychological therapy did not differ between groups.

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Acknowledgments

The lead author is supported by the ESRC Programme Grant: RES-060-25-0044.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Coupland I, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Warren Mansell, Gemma Paszek, Karen Seal, Rebecca Pedley, Nia Thomas, Sari Saatsi & Alyson Dodd

  2. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Sarah Jones

  3. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

    Helena Mannion

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  1. Warren Mansell
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  2. Gemma Paszek
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  7. Helena Mannion
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  9. Alyson Dodd
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Correspondence to Warren Mansell.

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The work was carried out at the School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

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Mansell, W., Paszek, G., Seal, K. et al. Extreme Appraisals of Internal States in Bipolar I Disorder: A Multiple Control Group Study. Cogn Ther Res 35, 87–97 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-009-9287-1

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