Cognitive Regulation of Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example

? Psychiatry Research Journal Critique Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) show similar cognitive shortfalls that might hinder self-regulation affect. The article examines the use of specific cognitive tactics for regulating negative affect in BD and SZ, as well as the relations with mood symptomatology levels. People that took part in the experiment were 81 HC (healthy controls), 97 BD and 126 SZ. These participants were given questionnaires; the Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). People that had the BD and SZ showed recurrent cogitation, talking in huge words as catastrophe was in everything plus they also exhibit self-blame while at the same time missed the bigger picture and always got clogged into petty issues, in comparison with HC. In addition, the SZ participants showed an inclination towards blaming others, relative to HC. Constant predictors or symptoms for SZ were talking catastrophic numbers and self-blame, whereas the BD mused, overanalyzed and thus shrank positivity. This study shows dysfunctional use of cognitive tactics of self-regulating negative affects both in BD and SZ, similar to those that were reported previously regarding unipolar depression. Inefficient use of adaptive cognitive reframe tactics (in both participants groups) show the influence of their shared cognitive drawbacks and needs further research. Hence, correcting cognitive abilities pertaining to inefficient self-regulation might help in reducing symptomatology of mood in BD and SZ. Critique/Analysis The hypothesis this study holds is that both the participant groups; Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, exhibit increased maladaptive cognitive strategies when their emotion response is toned down or regulated. This hypothesis is based on behavior that is triggered due to depression. Hypothesis assumed that SZ group would show propensity towards blaming others, while BD would engage into self-blame. Second, the purpose was to measure utility of strategies associated with levels of depression, stress, etc. Higher maladaptive cognitive strategies coupled with low reframing strategies lead to higher levels of mood disturbances. The methodology regarding participant numbers was fair enough; 126 SZ, 97 BD and 81 healthy control (HC), and they were subjected to CERQ questionnaire, to Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS), and then to a diagnostic interview for psychosis. Using questionnaires like CERQ for indexing emotional responses is very effective. Questionnaires are most common (and accurate) tools for conducting research. In fact the same CERQ questionnaire had been used previously for such arrangements where threatful or stressful life events are used to test emotional responses in participants (Garnefski et al., 2001). Variables used in this study are; CERQ questionnaire, comprising of 36 questions, with 9 distinct subscales having 4 items each. The measurement is such that on a 5 point Likert scale, there are two extremes; 1 almost never to 5 almost always. Higher score on the subscale indicates greater tendency of using that cognitive strategy. The second variable is DASS-42, which consists of three self-report scales for measuring anxiety, stress and depression. Each of these three scales holds 14 items, where the participants are subjected to 4-point frequency scales. Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS) variable comprises of 48 true false questions. This is to measure hypomanic temperament. This scale is valid as its usage in previous studies showed significant association between high HPS scores and increased diagnostic criteria for mania (Meyer, 2002). The last variable tested was Diagnostic Interview for Psychosis (DIP), and customized DIP items were used to test schizophrenia group for studying the severity of positive and negative aspects in them. Possible score range in DIP was 0-6. The results of the study matched and validated the hypothesis. There wasn’t any significant deviation in experiments from the predicted result. Both the AZ and BD groups exhibited maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, coupled with less use of putting things into perspective. This was easy to determine because of including the healthy control group, as the other two groups stood distinctly after the experiment. Other than BD and SZ standing distinctly from HC group, there was one difference in between them, they exhibited quite in contrast with each other; within SZ group, increased self-blame was predictive of symptomology, with increased catastrophising. On the contrary the BD group increased use of rumination turned out to be the most persistent indicator of all symptom levels. Low usage of positive reappraisal also indicated stress, anxiety and depression. The study proved successful in the sense that its hypothesis was tested and accepted as a result of the data that the participants helped in shaping. Applying statistical formulas and hypothesis testing proved that there is significant similarities between SZ and BD patients when they use cognitive strategies to reduce the negative effects. This also held true in predicting these negative effects in both patient groups. However this doesn’t mean that the same result and scale can be stretched infinitely; meaning that executing specific emotion regulation may also depend on neuropsychological skills, in that case remediation may prove to be a significant part in facilitating access to wider range of emotion regulation capacity, depending on the context. The whole research was conducted in a scientific manner. The hypothesis, selecting participants (sending them invitation and asking for their consent freely) then using statistical analysis for testing hypothesis and by showing the whole execution step by step, it all makes sense and the research is quite persuasive. The hypothesis and the proposal (result) are all backed by sufficient evidence. This article interested me because of schizophrenia and the patients that exhibit depressive symptoms behave. I have always been interested in learning about depressive people, I want to see the CT scanned pictures of their brain and how the images of their brain might spear different from normal people (the healthy control people). As I read the summary of the article I was intrigued how different disorders shape the personality of a human; for instance SZ blames others while BD indulges in self-loathing. The research was valuable, it helped identify the link between SZ and BD remediation strategy. This can help in treatment of patients that suffer from either BZ or SZ and psychiatrists and neurologists can establish some link between SZ and BD. This research is also helpful for the patients themselves, many patients like to know about their disease and they learn how to cope with the situation, they can use it to learn about their condition better. The study was done ethically, participants’ names are not published, they were asked for their consent before they signed up for the experiment. Moreover previous research was also used to make sure that the study turns out to be efficient. However, no amount of research is ever enough; more research is definitely needed. For instance, after establishing the link between SZ and BD how does this help in particular situations? The article is very technical in nature and to be able to critique it properly, it would require high level of knowledge in psychology, especially in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders. The access to the experiments, and the qualification procedure of the participants seems fair in reading the journal but to be able to really investigate the validity, being present there during the experiment would rule out any spec of doubt. References Garnefski, N., Kraaij, V., Spinhoven, P., 2001. Negative life events, cognitive emotion regulation and emotional problems. Personality and Individual Differences. 30 (8), 1311–1327. Meyer, T.D., 2002. The Hypomanic Personality Scale, the Big Five, and their relationship to depression and mania. Personality and Individual Differences. 32 (4), 649–660. Read More