Positive and Negative Activation in the Mood Disorder Questionnaire: Associations With Psychopathology and Emotion Dysregulation in a Clinical Sample

Abstract

The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is a screening measure for bipolar disorder, previously found to comprise separate Positive and Negative Activation subscales. We sought to replicate these factors and examine their associations with a range of psychopathology. To further explicate the nature of Negative Activation, we examined associations with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, a measure of emotion dysregulation. The sample consisted of 1,787 participants from an outpatient treatment facility. Confirmatory factor analysis replicated the existence of Positive and Negative Activation subscales. Logistic regressions, as hypothesized, found that Positive Activation was positively associated only with bipolar disorder, while Negative Activation was associated with almost all disorders. The Impulse and Goals subscales of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were uniquely associated with Negative Activation, suggesting it may specifically assess impulsive behavior in emotional situations. The findings suggest that it may be important to attend to both Mood Disorder Questionnaire subscales.

Mindfulness and cognitive–behavioral strategies for psychological detachment: Comparing effectiveness and mechanisms of change.

“…The stressor-detachment model further proposes that job demands might impede psychological detachment primarily because they increase NA and prolong feelings of tension (Sonnentag & Fritz, 2015). NA reflects highly activated negative affective states such as anger or agitation (Feldman Barrett & Russell, 1998), serves as an indicator of a broader transdiagnostic construct, and is related to emotion dysregulation (Carpenter et al, 2020). As a result, NA makes detachment difficult because employees “stay occupied with work-related tasks, try to engage in problem solving and to deal with the stressor, or continue to worry or vent about the stressor” (Sonnentag & Fritz, 2015, p. S87).…”

Do you feel up when you go up? A pilot study of a virtual reality manic‐like mood induction paradigm

“…The typical description would be ‘euphoria’ or an extreme state of happiness and energy. However, increasing evidence points towards the dual nature of mania, including both hedonically pleasant (e.g., euphoria, increased energy, confidence, and goal‐directedness) and unpleasant symptoms (e.g., racing thoughts, irritability, and even anxiety) (Benazzi & Akiskal, 2003; Carpenter et al., 2020). Thus, mania could be described as an excited, energetic state with increased drive and goal directedness that also includes feelings of tenseness or irritation.…”