Cited by 62Bipolar Disorder and TreatmentMental Health Research TopicsPersonality Disorders and Psychopathology

Kindling of life stress in bipolar disorder: comparison of sensitization and autonomy models

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Weiss, Rachel B., Stange, Jonathan P., Boland, Elaine M., Black, Shimrit K., LaBelle, Denise R., Abramson, Lyn Y., Alloy, Lauren B.·2015·Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Abstract

Research on life stress in bipolar disorder largely fails to account for the possibility of a dynamic relationship between psychosocial stress and episode initiation. The kindling hypothesis (Post, 1992) states that over the course of recurrent affective disorders, there is a weakening temporal relationship between major life stress and episode initiation that could reflect either a progressive sensitization or progressive autonomy to life stress. The present study involved a comprehensive and precise examination of the kindling hypothesis in 102 participants with bipolar II disorder that allowed for a direct comparison of sensitization and autonomy models. Polarity-specific tests were conducted across the continuum of event severity with respect to impact and frequency of life events. Hypotheses were polarity- and event-valence specific and were based on the stress sensitization model. Results were only partially consistent with the sensitization model: Individuals with more prior mood episodes had an increased frequency of minor negative events before depression and of minor positive events before hypomania. However, the number of past episodes did not moderate relationships between life events and time until prospective onset of mood episodes. These results are more consistent with a sensitization than an autonomy model, but several predictions of the sensitization model were not supported. Methodological strengths, limitations, and implications are discussed regarding putative changes in stress reactivity that may occur with repeated exposure to mood episodes in bipolar II disorder.

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  • HPA axis dysregulation might partly mediate the increased risk of bipolar disorder relapse following intense psychosocial stress.

    “HPA axis dysregulation might partly mediate the increased risk of BD relapse following intense psychosocial stress (Weiss et al. 2015).”

    From The HPA axis in bipolar disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2016) · cites this paper as Weiss et al. 2015

  • These findings seem consistent with an increased sensitivity of the HPA axis to psychosocial stress, which might increase over the illness course.

    “This seems consistent with an increased sensitivity of the HPA axis to psychosocial stress (Ostiguy et al. 2011), which might even increase over the illness course (Weiss et al. 2015)”

    From The HPA axis in bipolar disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2016) · cites this paper as Weiss et al. 2015

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1 of the 46 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Alloy LB Reilly-Harrington N Fresco DM Whitehouse WG Zechmeister JS 1999 Cognitive styles and life events in subsyndromal unipolar and bipolar disorders: Stability and prospective prediction of depressive and hypomanic mood swings Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy 13 1 21 40
  2. Beck AT Rush AJ Shaw BF Emery G 1979 Cognitive therapy of depression New York Guilford Press

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Authors
Weiss, R. B., Stange, J. P., Boland, E. M., Black, S. K., LaBelle, D. R., Abramson, L. Y., & Alloy, L. B.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Temple University (US)
  • VA Boston Healthcare System (US)
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Venue
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Published
2015-02
Volume
124
Issue
1
Pages
4-16
ISSN
  • 0021-843X (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1846
OpenAlex
W2025300663
Cited by
62
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 8
FWCI
7.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Abnormal Psychology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH52617; MH77908, MH52662, F31MH099761)
  • Society for the Science of Clinical Psychology
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
Keywords
bipolar II disorder, life events, stress sensitization, stress reactivity, mood episodes, depression, hypomania, psychosocial stress, event valence
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Bipolar Disorder, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Models, Psychological, Recurrence, Stress, Psychological, Logistic Models, Mood Disorders, Young Adult

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