Abnormal Psychology

Mood Disorders and Suicide 227

We can now understand Jamison’s bipolar disorder as arising from a confl u-

ence of neuropsychosocial factors and feedback loops. Her family history pro-

vided a strong genetic component to her illness, which has a clear neurological

basis (neurological factors). Her struggle against recognizing that she had an illness

6.5 • Feedback Loops in Action: Bipolar Disorders

Figure 6.5g5

Brain Systems

Neural Communication

Mental Processes and

Mental Contents

NeuroPsychoSocial

NeuroPsychoSocial NeuroPsychoSocial

stress

diathesis

diathesisstress

stress

diathesis

Behavior

Stressful Life Events

Gender/Culture

Frontal lobes

Amygdala

Serotonin

Norepinephrine

Glutamate

Genetics

Inherited vulnerability

to mood disorders

Cognitive deficits

Sleep deprivation

Rhythm disruption

Affect

Elation

Euphoria

Irritability

Rhythm disruption

Life changes

Family

Loss

Critical family (applies

only to relapse)

No known major

contribution

Note: The factors related to depressive disorders also apply to depressive episodes with bipolar disorders.