Characteristics of youth at high risk for bipolar disorder compared to youth with bipolar I or II disorder

In this study, we examined the clinical and psychosocial characteristics of youth at familial and clinical high risk (HR) for BD, and compared these characteristics to those of youth with BD I and II. Both groups were recruited based on current, active mood symptoms from separate randomized trials of family therapy. A total of 127 HR youth were evaluated: 52 (40.9%) were diagnosed with BD-NOS and 75 (59.1%) were diagnosed with MDD. Compared to adolescents with BD I and II (n=145), HR youth had higher rates of anxiety disorders, and comparable rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder. Mood symptom severity and psychosocial functioning were progressively more impaired consistent with diagnostic severity: BD I>BD II>BD-NOS>MDD. Nonetheless, HR youth exhibited significant depressive symptom severity compared to adolescents with BD I and overall impairment in psychosocial functioning. These results provide further support for the high rates of anxiety disorders and premorbid dysfunction in addition to active mood symptoms for youth at risk for BD, and suggest anxiety is an important phenological characteristics and treatment target of the high-risk period.
Source: Journal of Psychiatric Research - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research