Attributional style and depression: A controlled comparison of remitted unipolar and bipolar patients

Abstract

Attributional style was investigated in remitted affective disorder patients (23 unipolars and 26 bipolars) and 26 non-psychiatric controls. We found a specific cognitive vulnerability in unipolars. Unipolars attributed negative events to causes that were more stable--but not more internal nor more global--than bipolars and controls, and did not attach more importance to these events. Attributional vulnerability seemed more apparent in patients with longer histories of depression.