Journal article
Age Transitions in the Course of Bipolar I Disorder
Psychological medicine, Vol.39(8), pp.1247-1252
08/2009
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291709005534
PMCID: PMC3551474
PMID: 19335937
Abstract
Background: This analysis aimed to show whether symptoms of either pole change in their persistence as individuals move through two decades, whether such changes differ by age grouping, and whether age of onset plays an independent role in symptom persistence.
Method: Participants in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Collaborative Depression Study (CDS) who completed at least 20 years of follow-up and who met study criteria for bipolar I or schizo-affective manic disorder, before intake or during follow-up, were divided by age at intake into youngest (18-29 years, n=56), middle (30-44 years, n=68) and oldest (>44 years, n=24) groups.
Results: The persistence of depressive symptoms increased significantly in the two younger groups. Earlier ages of onset were associated with higher depressive morbidity throughout the 20 years of follow-up but did not predict changes in symptom persistence. The proportions of weeks spent in episodes of either pole correlated across follow-up periods in all age groupings, although correlations were stronger for depressive symptoms and for shorter intervals.
Conclusions: Regardless of age at onset, the passage of decades in bipolar illness seems to bring an increase in the predominance of depressive symptoms in individuals in their third, fourth and fifth decades and an earlier age of onset portends a persistently greater depressive symptom burden. The degree to which either depression or manic/hypomanic symptoms persist has significant stability over lengthy periods and seems to reflect traits that manifest early in an individual's illness.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Age Transitions in the Course of Bipolar I Disorder
- Creators
- William Coryell - Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and SurgeonsJess Fiedorowicz - Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and SurgeonsDavid Solomon - Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and SurgeonsJean Endicott - Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Psychological medicine, Vol.39(8), pp.1247-1252
- DOI
- 10.1017/S0033291709005534
- PMID
- 19335937
- PMCID
- PMC3551474
- NLM abbreviation
- Psychol Med
- ISSN
- 0033-2917
- eISSN
- 1469-8978
- Grant note
- R01 MH025416 || MH / National Institute of Mental Health : NIMH
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/2009
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Epidemiology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984003909502771
Metrics
27 Record Views