Immune response to stress induction as a predictor of cognitive-behavioral therapy outcomes in adolescent mood disorders: A pilot study.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) alleviates symptoms of depression in youth with bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Empirical research has linked inflammatory markers to depressive symptoms and acute psychosocial stress; however, a gap remains as to whether immune response to stress may serve as a putative mechanism of treatment. This preliminary pilot study determined the modest feasibility of assessing psychobiological response to stress as a predictor of CBT outcomes for youth with mood disorders. We evaluated whether participation in a 10-session group-CBT intervention for mood disorders altered inflammatory response to a laboratory psychosocial stress induction and if this alteration in immune stress responsivity was related to a decrease in depressive symptoms. Thirty-four youth (age M = 15.03, SD = 1.91) diagnosed with BD or MDD participated in a 10-session CBT group and pre- and post-group assessments; twenty-eight participants who completed the group had usable cytokine data. Pre- and post-group assessments included stress induction with the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) during which inflammatory cytokines were measured at baseline (time 0) and after the TSST at 30, 60, and 90 min. Results suggest it is modestly feasible to measure immune response to stress alongside CBT treatment for adolescent mood disorders. Our findings were mixed; across seven cytokines, hierarchical linear models indicated two cytokines, IL6 and IL12, were sensitive to acute laboratory stress. We also found significant correlations between life stress, inflammation, and depression both pre- and post- CBT group. Inflammation pre-group, as measured by IL12 and IL1 ß predicted depressive symptoms following treatment. Although we did not find significant within-subject reductions in inflammation, chronic stress predicted changes in IL ß, signaling the central role of chronic stress. This study offers preliminary evidence that immune responsivity to stress induction could serve as a mechanism of treatment for mood disorders in youth, indicating a potential marker for more personalized model of healthcare.

The relationship between entrepreneurial intent, gender and personality.

PURPOSE: We examine gender differences in personality traits of people with and without entrepreneurial intent to assess whether women who intend to become entrepreneurs exhibit particular tendencies that can be fostered. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Participants completed an online battery of well-established questionnaires to cover a range of personality traits relevant to entrepreneurship and gender. Participants also answered items concerning intent to become an entrepreneur. A factor analysis of personality traits produced four factors (Esteem and Power, Ambition, Risk Propensity, and Communal Tendency, the latter reflecting Openness and Cooperation, without Hubris). We constructed four parallel regression models to examine how gender, entrepreneurial intent, and the interaction of gender with intent related to these four personality factor scores. FINDINGS: Participants who endorsed a desire to become an entrepreneur reported higher Ambition. Women with entrepreneurial intentions endorsed higher levels of Communal Tendency than men with entrepreneurial intent. Those without entrepreneurial intent did not show gender differences in Communal Tendency. IMPLICATIONS: Current findings suggest that men and women who intend to become entrepreneurs share many traits, but women with entrepreneurial intent show unique elevations in communal tendencies. Thus, a worthwhile locus for intervention into the gender disparity in self-employment may be providing space for and acknowledgement of prosocial motivation and goals as one successful route to entrepreneurship. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Given the underutilized economic potential of women entrepreneurs, there is a fundamental need for a rich array of research on factors that limit and promote women's entry into entrepreneurship. Current findings indicate that personality may be one piece of this puzzle.

Creativity is linked to ambition across the bipolar spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: Beyond evidence for an association, little is known about the mechanism linking creativity bipolar spectrum conditions. Theory suggests that ambition, which is heightened in bipolar disorder (BD) and associated with creativity in the general population, might be an important variable. The overarching aim of this project was to evaluate whether ambition is related to creativity among those with bipolar spectrum conditions. METHOD: Across two studies, we examined correlations between a validated self-report measure of ambition, the WASSUP, and creativity. In Study One, 22 individuals diagnosed with BD who self-identified as highly creative completed the WASSUP and a measure of lifetime creative accomplishment. In Study Two, 221 undergraduates completed the WASSUP, a measure of mania risk (the Hypomanic Personality Scale, HPS) and a measure designed to assess creativity in business projects and tasks. RESULTS: In Study One, WASSUP scores were significantly elevated compared to normative levels in BD, and WASSUP scores were correlated with lifetime creative accomplishment within the artistic sample. In Study Two, mania risk was related to greater ambition and creativity, and ambition was also directly related to greater creativity. LIMITATIONS: Both studies were limited by the reliance on self-reported ambition. CONCLUSION: Ambition could be one important component of creative success across the bipolar spectrum.

Manic tendencies are not related to being an entrepreneur, intending to become an entrepreneur, or succeeding as an entrepreneur.

BACKGROUND: Popular literature suggests a relationship between entrepreneurship and manic tendencies, yet little scientific research has evaluated whether manic tendencies foster entrance into entrepreneurial roles, intent to become an entrepreneur, or success as an entrepreneur. METHODS: In study 1, 225 undergraduates and business school students/affiliates took an online survey to assess engagement and intent as entrepreneurs, as well as manic tendencies, including family diagnoses as reported on the Family Index of Risk for Mania, subsyndromal manic tendencies as assessed with the Hypomanic Personality Scale, and self-reported diagnoses. In study 2, the sample of entrepreneurs identified in study 1 was enriched by recruiting a larger group of established entrepreneurs from the community. Entrepreneurs (n=210) completed items concerning their success in entrepreneurship, and we examined whether the three measures of manic tendencies were related to success. RESULTS: There was no evidence that those vulnerable to mania, regardless of definition, were more likely to be entrepreneurs, to intend to become entrepreneurs, or to succeed as entrepreneurs. LIMITATIONS: The studies were limited by self-report measures and relatively small samples. CONCLUSIONS: More nuanced models may explain the frequent clinical observations of manic traits among entrepreneurs.