An investigation into the experience of self‐conscious emotions in individuals with bipolar disorder, unipolar depression and non‐psychiatric controls

Abstract

There has been little research into the association of shame and other self-conscious emotions in bipolar disorder, although there is evidence linking shame to various psychopathologies. This research investigates the levels of shame in individuals with bipolar disorder. A cross-sectional design was used to compare 24 individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder to a clinical control group of 18 individuals with unipolar depression, and 23 age-matched non-psychiatric controls on measures of mood (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI] and Self Report Manic Inventory [SRMI]) and of self-conscious emotions (Internalized Shame Scale and Test of Self-Conscious Affect). Higher levels of trait shame and lower guilt-proneness were found in the bipolar group. Higher levels of shame-proneness were found in the unipolar group in comparison to the bipolar and control groups. BDI scores positively correlated with trait shame and shame-proneness, and accounted for a large proportion of the variance in these scores. SRMI scores positively correlated with trait (internalized) shame and negatively correlated with guilt-proneness. There was evidence for the presence of shame within bipolar disorder, but this differed to the evidence for shame in individuals with unipolar depression. Clinical implications are discussed.