Bipolar disorders are a group of complex mental illnesses characterized by periods of depression and (hypo)mania. While existing treatments effectively manage symptoms during episodes of extreme mood, many individuals struggle with regulating affective experiences between episodes. Difficulties with affect regulation have been proposed as a crucial transdiagnostic treatment target across mental disorders. In bipolar disorders specifically, affective dysregulation is present early in the illness course, in euthymia, and during mood episodes. The recognition of affective dysregulation as an inherent feature of the illness has sparked a growing interest in research on understanding underlying mechanisms and interventions. Due to their transdiagnostic nature, established interventions supporting affect regulation tailored to other disorders and mental health problems may be informative in this respect.

Most current psychosocial treatments for bipolar disorders primarily focus on psychoeducation aimed at reducing stress, promoting healthy lifestyle choices, and identifying potential exacerbating factors. A healthy and balanced lifestyle may indeed increase resilience to emotional stress; however, the literature on affect regulation underscores the importance of exposure to avoided internal and external stimuli and developing diverse strategies to enhance affect regulation skills, crucial for buffering against stress and increasing well-being. How to effectively incorporate such strategies into existing treatment programs for bipolar disorders and the precise mechanisms underlying their effects are still unclear.

The current research topic aims to capture and integrate perspectives on affect regulation in bipolar disorders broadly – from etiological considerations to mechanistic pathways, implications for the clinic, original research, and beyond.

Topics to be covered include (but are not limited to):
• Clinical interventions targeting affective dysregulation;
• Digital tools to enhance affect (self-) regulation
• Differences in clinical characteristics between bipolar I and II disorder and implications for treatment
• Transferring coping skills from therapy to everyday life;
• Biological mechanisms of affective dysregulation including chrono-rhythmic disturbances;
• Psychological mechanisms of affective dysregulation
• Affective hyper- and hypoactivation
• Personality features and temperamental traits
• Transdiagnostic perspectives on affective dysregulation

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Frontiers in Psychiatry

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