Mood state dependency of dysfunctional attitudes in bipolar affective disorder

Introduction. Studies of cognitive styles among euthymic people with bipolar affective disorder (BAD) without use of mood induction techniques to access those cognitive styles give misleading impressions of normality of those cognitions. The aim of this study was to assess dysfunctional attitudes of participants with BAD, and control participants with no previous psychiatric histories, after mood inductions. Methods. Sad and happy moods were induced within 49 BAD and 37 controls. Dysfunctional attitudes were measured following mood inductions using the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-short form (DAS-24), which has three subscales of achievement, interpersonal, and goal attainment. Results. It was hypothesised that within BAD the sad mood induction would help in accessing dysfunctional attitudes in all three domains relative to the happy mood induction. This was supported. It was also hypothesised that the mood inductions would not affect dysfunctional attitudes within controls. This was supported. When diagnosis was entered as a between group variable, achievement dysfunctional attitudes were significantly higher in BAD compared to controls after a happy induction. Conclusions. Both sad and happy moods provoked higher levels of dysfunctional attitudes within BAD. Euphoria may be related to elevated achievement dysfunctional attitudes, raising risk for mania.