Coping Specificities in Bipolar Affective Disorder: Relations with Symptoms and Therapeutic Alliance

Ways to enhance research into coping have been suggested by Lazarus (2000). The issues of adaptiveness and concep-tual structure of coping (Cramer, 1998; Skinner et al., 2003) are particularly relevant; thus, this study addresses them in a clinical research setting. A total of 30 inpatients presenting with Bipolar Affective Disorder (BD) have been interviewed twice, as well as the participants of a matched control group (N = 30). Self-report (CISS) and observer-rater methods (CAP) of coping have been applied: low correlations were found between the instruments. Coping speci-ficities in BD have been identified: opposition and support-seeking are most frequently practiced by BD patients, in comparison with controls. No significant link has been found between coping processes, symptom level and the thera-peutic alliance. This study lends support for a quantitative definition of coping adaptiveness which is discussed, along with clinical implications on psychological treatments of BD (German J Psychiatry 2009; 12: 19-27)