A Comparison of Emotional Schemas in Patients with Bipolar Disorders and Major Depressive Disorder in Remission and Nonclinical Population

Similarities and differences among mood disorders can help psychiatrics in their exact diagnosis and more effective treatments. Therefore, the current research sought to identify differences between patients with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and nonclinical group in emotional schemas.
The present research was a cross-sectional study. The research sample consisted of 102 subjects (34 bipolar disorders, 34 with major depressive disorder, and 34 nonclinical) that selected by convenience sampling. They were matched for sex, age, and educational level. Subjects were diagnosed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM disorders (SCID) and their mood was rated by Young mania rating scale (YMRS) and Beck depression inventory (BDI). General health questionnaire (GHQ) was also used for nonclinical population. Then, all three groups were asked to fill out the Leahy emotional schemas (LESS). Data were analyzed by ANOVA.
The scores on LESS in patients with bipolar and major depressive disorders were significantly different from the nonclinical group. However, there was no difference between the two mood disorder groups scores on LESS in patients with bipolar and major depressive disorders were significantly different from the nonclinical groups. But there was not difference between themselves. Scores on measures of validation, values, acceptance, and expression were significantly higher in patients with bipolar disorders. But, blame maladaptive schema was greater in patients with major depressive.
According to Leahy theory, adaptive schemas are more activated in non-clinical population than mood disorders and as there were no differences between clinical groups in maladaptive schemas. More research is needed to explain this result.