Leisure activities, alcohol, and nicotine consumption in people with a hypomanic/hyperthymic temperament

Several studies show an association between the Hypomanic Personality scale (HPS; Eckblad & Chapman, 1986) and variables related to bipolar disorders. In theory, people with a hypomanic temperament are thought to be more active than others. The purpose of this study was to examine empirically which kinds of activities students with a hypomanic temperament typically pursue outside of the school context and especially how much time they engage in these activities. We hypothesized that students would report a high proportion of activities that are fun- and reward-related, also including problematic ones (e.g. alcohol abuse). Teenage students (n=4045) completed several questionnaires, including the HPS, CES-D, questions about performance in school, future success, and leisure activities. Using the HPS, a high-risk group (n=300) was defined and compared to a control group (n=1709). As hypothesized, “hypomanic” adolescents spent most of their time outside of school socializing with friends and pursuing sports rather than attending to duties such as homework, smoked more often, drank alcohol more often, and were more often involved in physical fights. The results are discussed within the context of a model that regards dysregulation of the Behavioral Activation System as a vulnerability factor in bipolar disorders.