Rethinking emotion: Cognitive reappraisal is an effective positive and negative emotion regulation strategy in bipolar disorder.

Abstract

Bipolar disorder involves difficulties with emotion regulation, yet the precise nature of these emotion regulatory difficulties is unclear. The current study examined whether individuals with remitted bipolar I disorder (n = 23) and healthy controls (n = 23) differ in their ability to use one effective and common form of emotion regulation, cognitive reappraisal. Positive, negative, and neutral films were used to elicit emotion, and participants were cued to watch the film carefully (i.e., uninstructed condition) or reappraise while measures of affect, behavior, and psychophysiology were obtained. Results showed that reappraisal was associated with reductions in emotion reactivity across subjective (i.e., positive and negative affect), behavioral (i.e., positive facial displays), and physiological (i.e., skin conductance) response domains across all participants. Results suggest that reappraisal may be an effective regulation strategy for both negative and positive emotion across both healthy adults and individuals with bipolar disorder. Discussion focuses on clinical and treatment implications for bipolar disorder.

Perceived emotional intelligence is impaired and associated with poor community functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

“…Individuals with schizophrenia additionally report abnormal emotion regulation styles and show impairment on performance-based and neurophysiological tasks (Horan et al, 2013; Kee et al, 2009; Kimhy et al, 2012). Although individuals with bipolar disorder also report abnormal emotion regulation styles (Gruber et al, 2012; Wolkenstein et al, 2014), they do not consistently show impairments on performance-based assessments (Burdick et al, 2011; Gruber et al, 2014; Lee et al, 2013). …”

Validation of the Serbian Adaptation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Erq)

“…Neki autori sugerišu da se emocionalna preformulacija kako negativnih, tako i pozitivnih emocija može uspešno koristiti kako u nekliničkoj, tako i u specifičnim kliničkim populacijama, kao deo tretmana, npr. kod bipolarnog afektivnog poremećaja (Gruber, Hay, & Gross, 2014).…”

Emotion regulation and mania risk: Differential responses to implicit and explicit cues to regulate

“…Research shows that people diagnosed with BD endorse using ER strategies at least as frequently as do controls (Fletcher, Parker & Manicavasagar, 2013; Green, Cahill, & Malhi, 2007; Gruber, 2008; Gruber, Eidelman, & Harvey, 2008; Gruber, Eidelman, Johnson, Smith, & Harvey, 2011; Gruber, Harvey, & Gross, 2012; Johnson, McKenzie, & McMurrich, 2008; Rowland, Hamilton, Lino et al, 2013; Thomas, Knowles, Tai, & Bentall, 2007). Parallel with this literature in diagnosed persons, persons at high risk for mania, as defined by measures of subsyndromal manic symptoms, also report using ER strategies as frequently as those at low risk (Bentall et al, 2011; Knowles, Tai, Christensen, & Bentall, 2005).…”

“…Parallel with this literature in diagnosed persons, persons at high risk for mania, as defined by measures of subsyndromal manic symptoms, also report using ER strategies as frequently as those at low risk (Bentall et al, 2011; Knowles, Tai, Christensen, & Bentall, 2005). Laboratory studies suggest that when explicitly coached to use ER, people diagnosed with BD also modify their affect as successfully as control participants (Green et al, 2011; Gruber, 2008; Gruber et al, 2012; Rowland, Hamilton, Lino et al, 2013). Despite the evidence for people with BD to use ER strategies well and often, the disorder is defined by extreme and persistent affective states that would suggest ER failures may be involved.…”

“…Though analog research has disadvantages, people at risk for bipolar disorder endorse difficulties with intense emotions (Heissler, Kanske, Schonfelder, & Wessa, 2014) and research has shown that they too use ER, parallel to diagnosed samples (Gruber, 2008; Gruber et al, 2012). Use of an analog sample allowed us to test ER without the confound of medication.…”