HYPOMANIC PERSONALITY-TRAITS IN A COMMUNITY SAMPLE OF ADOLESCENTS

The distribution and correlates of hypomanic personality traits were e xamined in a representative sample of 1709 adolescents. Hypomanic trai ts were assessed with an abbreviated version of Eckblad and Chapman's (1986) Hypomanic Personality Scale. Hypomanic traits were normally dis tributed and were slightly but significantly higher among females. Tes t-retest stability over a mean 14-month interval was 0.54. High scores were associated with elevated lifetime rates of mood, disruptive beha vior and substance use disorders, Among subjects with no history of mo od disorder, hypomanic traits were associated with a broad range of in dices of psychosocial dysfunction, both concurrently and at 1-year fol low-up. In addition, hypomanic personality traits predicted increased levels of impairment, in a number of areas, including depressive and i nternalizing symptomatology, over the course of the follow-up. Finally , among subjects with a past history of major depression, hypomanic tr aits were associated with a higher level of depression at the initial assessment, greater symptomatology and impairment during their worst e pisode, and higher rates of attempted suicide, comorbid disruptive beh avior disorders and recurrent major depressive episodes.