What is the effect of social rhythm disrupting events on mood in individuals with bipolar disorder
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: The social zeitgeber hypothesis suggests that life events have the capacity to lead to the onset of affective episodes in those vulnerable to bipolar disorder via biological and social rhythm disruption. However, few studies have systematically evaluated the role of life events that disrupt social routines in the exacerbation of mood symptoms. This report examined the effect of social rhythm disrupting (SRD) events on recurrence during preventative treatment in a sample of 82 patients with bipolar disorder who achieved remission from an acute episode, and assessed whether treatment assignment (interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) vs. intensive clinical management (ICM)) moderated this effect. We also examined the effect of short term (STC) and long term (LTC) threat (unpleasant) events. Recurrence was determined by blinded senior psychiatrists who were not otherwise involved in the conduct of the study and who were asked to determine whether the participant met Research Diagnostic Criteria for a new affective episode. Life events were measured with the Bedford College Life Events and Difficulty Schedule (LEDS) and were rated for degree of SRD and threat. Chi-square tests, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, and Cox proportional hazards models showed that patients who had a recurrence were more likely to experience independent SRD, STC, and LTC events prior to recurrence than those who survived the two-year preventative phase without a recurrence, and this event occurred closer in time to recurrence than to a corresponding non-recurrence point in the non-recurrence group. In contrast, events that were rated for SRD and threat were not more likely to occur among individuals experiencing a recurrence than events rated for threat only. Nor did such a combined event occur more closely in time to a recurrence than events rated for threat only. Last, among those who experienced an SRD event, those who received preventative IPSRT were more likely to have a recurrence than those who received preventative ICM. Future studies should focus on the types of SRD events that are related to mood worsening, as well as on novel methods of examining these scientific aims that make use of longitudinal datasets.
Author: Jessica C. Levenson
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2257151532