Citation

Forty L, Ulanova A, Jones L, Jones I, Gordon-Smith K, Fraser C, Farmer A, McGuffin P, Lewis CM, Hosang GM, Rivera M, Craddock N. Br. J. Psychiatry 2014; 205(6): 465-472.

Affiliation

Liz Forty, PhD, Anna Ulanova, MD, MSc Psych, Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Lisa Jones, PhD, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Ian Jones, MRCPsych, PhD, Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Katherine Gordon-Smith, PhD, Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff and School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Christine Fraser, BSc, Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Anne Farmer, FRCPsych, PhD, Peter McGuffin, FRCPsych, PhD, Cathryn M. Lewis, PhD, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK; Georgina M. Hosang, PhD, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London and Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, UK; Margarita Rivera, PhD, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK and Institute of Neurosciences, Biomedical Research Centre (CIBM), University of Granada, Spain; Nick Craddock, FRCPsych, PhD, Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.114.152249

PMID

25359927

Abstract

Background Individuals with a mental health disorder appear to be at increased risk of medical illness. Aims To examine rates of medical illnesses in patients with bipolar disorder (n = 1720) and to examine the clinical course of the bipolar illness according to lifetime medical illness burden.

METHOD Participants recruited within the UK were asked about the lifetime occurrence of 20 medical illnesses, interviewed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) and diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria.

RESULTS We found significantly increased rates of several medical illnesses in our bipolar sample. A high medical illness burden was associated with a history of anxiety disorder, rapid cycling mood episodes, suicide attempts and mood episodes with a typically acute onset.

CONCLUSIONS Bipolar disorder is associated with high rates of medical illness. This comorbidity needs to be taken into account by services in order to improve outcomes for patients with bipolar disorder and also in research investigating the aetiology of affective disorder where shared biological pathways may play a role.

Language: en