Clinical outcome in patients with bipolar I disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or both

✍ Scribed by Franca Centorrino; John Hennen; Gopinath Mallya; Samy Egli; Tim Clark; Ross J. Baldessarini

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 67 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6222
• DOI: 10.1002/hup.760

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is often comorbid with obsessive‐compulsive (OCD) and other anxiety disorders, but the impact of such comorbidity on long‐term outcome has not been evaluated systematically.

Methods

Extensive follow‐up assessments were carried out at 4.3 years after index hospitalizations in a mixed BPD‐OCD group (N = 20) compared to matched groups with BPD (N = 22) or OCD (N = 20) alone.

Results

At follow‐up, ratings of functional status were similar across groups. Rehospitalizations were similar among BPD‐OCD and BPD subjects, but 2.9‐times more frequent among comorbid than OCD patients. OCD symptoms averaged 150% more severe in OCD than comorbid subjects, and were not measured in BPD subjects.

Conclusions

Despite potential sampling bias with previously hospitalized subjects, the findings suggest that comorbid BPD‐OCD patients may be clinically more similar to BPD than OCD patients, and that BPD‐OCD comorbidity may not negatively impact the long‐term clinical outcome. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.