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Personality and bipolar disorder: dissecting state and trait associations between mood and personality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2010

J. H. Barnett ,
J. Huang ,
R. H. Perlis ,
M. M. Young ,
J. F. Rosenbaum ,
A. A. Nierenberg ,
G. Sachs ,
V. L. Nimgaonkar ,
D. J. Miklowitz  and
J. W. Smoller
J. H. Barnett
Affiliation:
Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, and Psychiatric Genetics Program in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Cambridge Cognition Limited, Cambridge, UK
J. Huang
Affiliation:
Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, and Psychiatric Genetics Program in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
R. H. Perlis
Affiliation:
Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, and Psychiatric Genetics Program in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Bipolar Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
M. M. Young
Affiliation:
Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, and Psychiatric Genetics Program in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
J. F. Rosenbaum
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
A. A. Nierenberg
Affiliation:
Bipolar Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
G. Sachs
Affiliation:
Bipolar Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
V. L. Nimgaonkar
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, WPIC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
D. J. Miklowitz
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
J. W. Smoller*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, and Psychiatric Genetics Program in Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: J. W. Smoller, M.D., Sc.D., Simches Research Building, 185 Cambridge Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02114, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Some personality characteristics have previously been associated with an increased risk for psychiatric disorder. Longitudinal studies are required in order to tease apart temporary (state) and enduring (trait) differences in personality among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to determine whether there is a characteristic personality profile in BD, and whether associations between BD and personality are best explained by state or trait effects.

Method

A total of 2247 participants in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder study completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory administered at study entry, and at 1 and 2 years.

Results

Personality in BD was characterized by high neuroticism (N) and openness (O), and low agreeableness (A), conscientiousness (C) and extraversion (E). This profile was replicated in two independent samples, and openness was found to distinguish BD from major depressive disorder. Latent growth modeling demonstrated that manic symptoms were associated with increased E and decreased A, and depressed symptoms with higher N and lower E, A, C and O. During euthymic phases, high N and low E scores predicted a future depression-prone course.

Conclusions

While there are clear state effects of mood on self-reported personality, personality variables during euthymia predict future course of illness. Personality disturbances in extraversion, neuroticism and openness may be enduring characteristics of patients with BD.

Keywords

Bipolar disorderextraversionNEO-FFIneuroticismpersonality.
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 41 , Issue 8 , August 2011 , pp. 1593 - 1604
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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