Background Depression research historically uses both self‐ and clinician ratings of symptoms with significant and substantial correlations. It is often assumed that manic patients lack insight and cannot accurately report their symptoms. This delayed the development of self‐rating scales for mania, but several scales now exist and are used in research. Our objective is to systematically review the literature to identify existing self‐ratings of symptoms of (hypo)mania and to evaluate their psychometric properties. Methods PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Ovid were searched up until June 2018 using the keywords: “(hypo)mania,” “self‐report,” and “mood disorder” to identify papers which included data on the validity and reliability of self‐rating scales for (hypo)mania in samples including patients with bipolar disorder. Results We identified 55 papers reporting on 16 different self‐rating scales claiming to assess (hypo)manic symptoms or states. This included single item scales, but also some with over 40 items. Three of the scales, the Internal State Scale (ISS), Altman Self‐Rating Mania Scale (ASRM), and Self‐Report Manic Inventory (SRMI), provided data about reliability and/or validity in more than three independent studies. Validity was mostly assessed by comparing group means from individuals in different mood states and sometimes by correlation to clinician ratings of mania. Conclusions ASRM, ISS, and SRMI are promising self‐rating tools for (hypo)mania to be used in clinical contexts. Future studies are, however, needed to further validate these measures; for example, their associations between each other and sensitivity to change, especially if they are meant to be outcome measures in studies.

BackgroundEmotional sensitivity is a construct found in major developmental models of borderline personality disorder. However, the construct remains nebulous. The patient perspective is crucially important in helping to define and conceptualize any psychological construct – especially one that plays such a large role in the developmental theories of a given disorder. The aim of the current study was to explore the meaning of emotional sensitivity from the perspective of those who identify as being emotionally sensitive.MethodsParticipants were from a community sample of adults (Mage = 32.05, range: 21–59) who responded to an advertisement for a study of emotional sensitivity. Participants completed surveys related to personality pathology and a semi-structured interview about emotional sensitivity. Emotional sensitivity interviews were independently coded by two research assistants trained in qualitative analyses for content and process. Coders were blind to the personality pathology status of participants.ResultsRegardless of level of personality pathology, qualitative results of the emotional sensitivity interview largely suggest that emotional sensitivity is a heightened emotional reactivity to stimuli, including the emotions of other individuals, or a tendency to have emotional reactions to even low impact stimuli. However, emotional sensitivity was regarded predominantly as a negative trait (i.e. burden) only by those who have high levels of borderline personality pathology.ConclusionsThe implications of these results for the conceptualization and utility of emotional sensitivity in borderline personality disorder are discussed.

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