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Examining The Self-Schema Within A Cognitive Vulnerability-Stress Framework Of Mania, Nadia Maiolino

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation aimed to inform a cognitive vulnerability-stress theory of mania, which addresses both the content and structure of the self-schema, along with the conditions under which these self-relevant cognitions are activated. Extant research on mania has primarily considered self-schema content, or an individual’s actual beliefs (e.g., “I am incompetent”). Although these investigations have successfully identified maladaptive self-beliefs associated with bipolar disorder, this research has been prone to inconsistencies and limited in distinguishing between mania and related forms of psychopathology (e.g., unipolar depression). Furthermore, very little research on mania has considered the organization of self-schema beliefs, referred to here as …