Vulnerability

Vulnerability refers to someone’s possible predisposition to mood episodes based on a combination of biological, genetic, and environmental factors. It doesn’t mean an episode is inevitable or that person is weak. Rather, vulnerability describes increased sensitivity to stressors or activating events that can influence emotional stability. Factors such as reward hypersensitivity, life stress, and biological regulation systems can interact with this underlying vulnerability, affecting the likelihood of mood changes. Vulnerability is about probability: it increases risk under certain conditions but does not determine outcomes. Protective factors, coping strategies, and treatment can strengthen resilience and reduce risk.