Skip to main content

The temperaments and their relevance to bipolar spectrum disorders

Author/s
Giuseppe Tavormina
Citation
Issue 3 Summer 2013
CEPiP.2013;1:19-21
Abstract

Temperament is a key factor when assessing a patient within the bipolar spectrum. Indeed, Akiskal and others have included the temperaments as conditions in their own right within the bipolar spectrum, describing them as ’soft’ forms of bipolar condition within the spectrum. They can develop over time into a more clear bipolar condition, and hence are important in early diagnosis. In this article, the importance of the temperaments is discussed, and a technique is described for identifying the temperaments of individual patients.

Keywords: bipolar spectrum, temperaments, early diagnosis

Cite as: Cutting Edge Psychiatry in Practice 2013, 3(1):19-21; https://doi.org/10.65031/othq3646

References

  1. Akiskal HS. The prevalent clinical spectrum of bipolar disorders: beyond DSM-IV. J Clin Psychopharmacol 1996; 16 (suppl 1): 4-14. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004714-199604001-00002
  2. Akiskal HS, Cassano GB, Musetti L, Perugi G, Tundo A, Mignani V. Psychopathology, temperament, and past course in primary major depressions. 1. Review of evidence for a bipolar spectrum. Psychopathology. 1989;22 (5):268-77. https://doi.org/10.1159/000284607
  3. Agius M, Tavormina G, Murphy CL, Win A, Zaman R. Need to improve diagnosis and treatment for bipolar disorder. Br J Psych Electronic Letters 2007; 9th March
  4. Tavormina G, Agius M. The high prevalence of the bipolar spectrum in private practice. J Bipolar Dis: Rev & Comm 2007; 6; 3: 19;       
  5. Tavormina G, Agius M. A study of the incidence of bipolar spectrum disorders in a private psychiatric practice. Psychiatria Danubina 2007; 19: 370-74
  6. Rihmer Z, Akiskal HS, et al. Current research on affective temperaments. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 2009; 22:000-000. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0b013e32833299d4
  7. Tavormina G. The bipolar spectrum diagnosis: the role of the temperaments. Psychiatria Danubina 2009; 21: S2: S160-S161.