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PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Mood Disorders
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1518106
This article is part of the Research Topic The Role of Affect Regulation in Bipolar Disorders View all 3 articles

European Network for Bipolar and Emotion Regulation (ENBER)'s Perspective on Research and Intervention for emotion dysregulation in Bipolar Disorder: challenges and lessons learned

Provisionally accepted
Julieta Azevedo Julieta Azevedo 1,2*Alyson Dodd Alyson Dodd 3Luisa Weiner Luisa Weiner 4,5Katia M'Bailara Katia M'Bailara 6Ana M Pinto Ana M Pinto 2Sébastien Weibel Sébastien Weibel 5,7Caroline Lawlor Caroline Lawlor 8Manja Koenders Manja Koenders 9Kim Wright Kim Wright 1
  • 1 Mood Disorders Centre, Department of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, England, United Kingdom
  • 2 Center for Research of the Center for Cognitive Intervention and Studies, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
  • 3 Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England, United Kingdom
  • 4 Laboratoire de Psychologie des Cognitions, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, Strasbourg, France
  • 5 Psychiatry Department, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
  • 6 EA4139 Laboratoire de Psychologie, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France
  • 7 UMRS1329 Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Alsace, France
  • 8 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
  • 9 Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Bipolar disorder (BD) and emotion dysregulation present substantial challenges for individuals and healthcare providers. Although pharmacological treatments remain the primary approach, psychosocial interventions show promise in addressing sub-threshold symptoms and deepening understanding of mood and emotion dysregulation mechanisms. The European Network for Bipolar Emotion Regulation (ENBER) aims to close the gap between research and clinical practice by offering practical insights for clinicians while contributing to scientific discourse on BD and emotion regulation (ER). This perspective paper identifies key questions for the field, suggesting directions for future research and highlighting promising interventions, such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), which have shown potential to reduce emotion dysregulation and improve personal recovery in BD. Future research should explore the flexibility and context-appropriateness of ER strategies, considering how current mood states significantly impact these dynamics. The commentary advocates for personalised treatment approaches that address individual differences in symptoms and ER capabilities, recommending innovative methodologies to better understand and apply ER in BD.Incorporating patient perspectives into research design is also a necessary focus for future research, having the potential to improve recovery and quality of life for individuals with BD.

    Keywords: bipolar, Emotion Regulation, bipolar depression (BD), mania, Emotion dysregulation

    Received: 28 Oct 2024; Accepted: 23 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Azevedo, Dodd, Weiner, M'Bailara, Pinto, Weibel, Lawlor, Koenders and Wright. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Julieta Azevedo, Mood Disorders Centre, Department of Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QQ, England, United Kingdom

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.