On the basis of a month-long observation of 50 British patients with bipolar disorder, researchers have come to the conclusion that future mood swings in bipolar people can be predicted by monitoring their thoughts and behaviour.

Since people suffering from bipolar disorder go through extreme mood swings which range from moments of emotional highs and euphoria to deep depression, researchers essentially studied the manner in which these people think and act.

The researchers witnessed more mood problems developing, over a month, in people who believed extreme things about their moods - for instance, that their moods were totally out of their own control or that they had to remain active all the time so as to prevent becoming a failure.

In comparison, people with bipolar disorder who either knew that they could manage their moods or were able to allow their moods to pass as a normal reaction to stress fared well one month later.

Noting that normal mood swings should not affect a person’s ability to function properly in their day-to-day lives, and they should still be able to do their duties and socialize in ways they may be comfortable with, the researchers said that the findings are encouraging for ‘talking therapies’ – like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - which aim at helping patients to talk about their moods and transform their thinking about them.