A prospective study of Bipolar Disorder vulnerability in relation to Behavioural Activation, Behavioural Inhibition and Dysregulation of the Behavioural Activation System

Background

The weak regulation, or “dysregulation”, of the Behavioural Activation System (BAS) is
implicated in the development and recurrence of bipolar disorder. However, there has been a
lack of prospective studies investigating the predictive role of BAS dysregulation in relation
to bipolar-vulnerability. Furthermore, no studies have tested the prospective predictive utility
of the DYS self-report measure of BAS dysregulation in an analogue sample. The goal of the
current study was to redress this gap.

Methods

Participants (n = 127) completed baseline self-report measures of mood symptoms (Internal
States Scale: ISS), the Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS), behavioural activation, inhibition
and dysregulation of BAS (BIS/BAS and DYS), and at six months, the Mood Disorders
Questionnaire (MDQ).

Results

Linear regression analysis indicated a significant main effect of BAS Dysregulation, and a
significant interaction between BIS and BAS Fun Seeking, on prospective MDQ scores
whilst controlling for baseline mood symptoms and HPS scores. The interaction effect
indicated that the relationship between high BAS Fun Seeking and follow-up MDQ scores
was strongest when BIS scores were high, whilst the lowest MDQ scores were observed for a
combination of low BAS Fun Seeking and high BIS. However, DYS scores were the stronger
predictor of MDQ scores compared to the BAS Fun Seeking and BIS interaction.

Conclusions

Bipolar-vulnerability is prospectively associated with heightened BAS Dysregulation, as
measured by the DYS subscale, similar to prior findings in clinical samples. Further research
investigating the longer-term associations between BAS Dysregulation with the development
of clinically significant bipolar mood symptoms is required.