Characterized by intense emotional states, bipolar disorder is a mental illness in which people experience drastic shifts in their mood and behavior. Individuals suffering from the disorder go from feeling manic or hypomanic to depression to remission in an erratic pattern. Usually starting in late adolescence or young adulthood, when left untreated, bipolar disorder can result in poor performance at school and at work, damage personal and professional relationships and even drive an individual to suicide.
Although the moods are not constant, recognizing personality traits consistent in bipolar patients may be important in predicting the course and severity of illness. While there can be hundreds of personality traits related to an individual, psychologists have divided them into five broad categories. These include openness, agreeableness, extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness. Now, a new study suggests that people with bipolar disorder score higher on extraversion, neuroticism and disinhibition.
The study, published in the journal BMC Psychiatry on May 3, 2017, involved 110 bipolar I patients, 85 bipolar II patients, and 86 healthy individuals. Post enrollment, each of the participant underwent annual clinical assessments. Using the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP), researchers analyzed the personality profiles of all the participants, who were followed prospectively for two years.
As per the research findings, as compared with healthy controls, individuals suffering from bipolar I and bipolar II reported higher score on:
Neuroticism: Characterized by emotional instability, neuroticism is a long-term tendency to be in a negative emotional state. People with neuroticism tend to suffer from anger, anxiety, guilt, and envy more severely than others. As per the study, participants with bipolar disorder scored higher on neuroticism in all areas except lack of assertiveness.
Disinhibition: Characterized by impulsivity and general disregard for social norms and authority, people scoring high on disinhibition tend to be aimless and disorganized. According to the study, a significant number of participants with bipolar disorder scored higher on disinhibition, especially in impulsiveness and irritability.
Aggressiveness: Characterized by unprovoked offensives or attacks, an individual scoring high on aggressiveness may indulge in a behavior directed toward a person with the intent to harm. As per the findings, a significant number of participants with bipolar disorder scored higher on aggressiveness than the healthy controls.
Examining personalities could be clinically important as one’s temperament type might help forecast the nature and course of the illness. Although those with bipolar disorder scored higher on disinhibition, neuroticism and aggressiveness, there were no observable differences between bipolar disorder I and II. Though these findings cover bipolar disorder in general, it is also important to note that not all people suffering from the disorder will have these personality traits.
Road to recovery
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), bipolar disorder affects 2.6 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 years and older in a given year. However, the mental disorder can be treated with timely medical intervention. As a leading behavioral health care provider, Sovereign Health of Florida treats a range of mood problems, including bipolar disorder.
At our facilities in Fort Myers and Pompano Beach, bipolar disorder treatment involves a holistic combination of medications and therapies, which are customized for each individual to treat the disorder and avoid any relapse. In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychoeducational groups, we offer cognitive remediation, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) and experiential therapy, among others. For more information on the various treatments offered or to know about our bipolar disorder treatment centers near you, please call at our 24/7 helpline number and speak to our admissions representative.
Sovereign Health Group is a leading addiction, dual diagnosis and mental health treatment provider. Call our admissions team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get the help you deserve.