Low persistence in euthymic manic-depressive patients: A replication

Background: A previous study which compared euthymic Israeli bipolars in a public hospital clinic to US normative data suggested that low Persistence scores on the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) may be a temperament marker for manic-depressive illness. The current study attempts to replicate that finding. Methods: A new sample of 25 euthymic Israeli bipolars in private treatment was compared to Israeli normal controls matched for gender and ethnic background. All subjects completed Hebrew versions of the TPQ. Results: Patients scored lower than controls on the Novelty Seeking and Persistence Scales. Limitations and conclusions: Though sample and effect size are both small, the finding of low Persistence is consistent with that of the earlier study.