Emotion regulation in euthymic bipolar patients in Tunisia

Abstract

Introduction Bipolar disorder is presumed to involve difficulties in emotion regulation. However, little is known about the specific emotion regulation profile associated with this disorder. Objectives To study emotion regulation in bipolar patients in remission phase and to determine the factors correlated with it. Methods A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study of 30 patients followed for bipolar disorder in remission, at the psychiatric outpatient clinic at the Hédi Chaker University Hospital in Sfax. We used a socio-demographic and clinical data sheet and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) which assesses cognitive strategies (maladaptive and adaptive) for regulating emotion. Results The mean age of the patients was 43.77 years, the sex ratio was 0.5. Bipolar I disorder was diagnosed in 93% of patients. A good adherence to treatment was found in 86.7% of cases and a good social integration in 40%. The mean total score of the adaptive CERQ was 66.73 and the most used adaptive strategy was acceptation (mean score =13.87), while the mean total score of the maladaptive CERQ was 36.7 and the most used maladaptive strategy was self blame (mean score =9.47). Adaptive cognitive emotion regulation was predominant in 93.3% of patients. It was significantly correlated with good adherence to treatment (p = 0.047) and good social integration (p = 0.026). Conclusions Our patients with euthymic bipolar disorder showed a satisfying level of adaptive emotion regulation strategies. A cognitive remediation seems important to embetter this capacity and improve the income of the disease. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Keywords

• remitted
• emotion
• regulation
• bipolar