The Organization of the Self-Concept in Bipolar Disorders: An Empirical Study and Replication

Two studies are described that used a self-concept card sort task to investigate the structure of the self-concept in individuals with bipolar disorders. Both studies showed in the euthymic state, that such individuals had a modularized self-concept in which key aspects of the self tend to be organized as completely positive or completely negative. The inclusion of a chronic illness control group of individuals with diabetes in the 2nd study demonstrated that these effects were not simply a change in the self-concept that was consequent on the experience of a long-term chronic disorder.