Citation

Lee S, Tsang A, Kessler RC, Jin R, Sampson N, Andrade L, Karam EG, Mora ME, Merikangas KR, Nakane Y, Popovici DG, Posada-Villa J, Sagar R, Wells JE, Zarkov Z, Petukhova M. Br. J. Psychiatry 2010; 196(3): 217-225.

Affiliation

Hong Kong Mood Disorders Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong. singlee@cuhk.edu.hk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.109.067843

PMID

20194545

PMCID

PMC2830056

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder in the community is largely unknown. AIMS: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of rapid-cycling and non-rapid-cycling bipolar disorder in a large cross-national community sample.

METHOD: The Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI version 3.0) was used to examine the prevalence, severity, comorbidity, impairment, suicidality, sociodemographics, childhood adversity and treatment of rapid-cycling and non-rapid-cycling bipolar disorder in ten countries (n = 54 257).

RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder was 0.3%. Roughly a third and two-fifths of participants with lifetime and 12-month bipolar disorder respectively met criteria for rapid cycling. Compared with the non-rapid-cycling, rapid-cycling bipolar disorder was associated with younger age at onset, higher persistence, more severe depressive symptoms, greater impairment from depressive symptoms, more out-of-role days from mania/hypomania, more anxiety disorders and an increased likelihood of using health services. Associations regarding childhood, family and other sociodemographic correlates were less clear cut.

CONCLUSIONS: The community epidemiological profile of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder confirms most but not all current clinically based knowledge about the illness.

Language: en