Demorgraphic characteristics in affective disorders

One hundred and fifty four consecutively evaluated new and return psychiatric outpatients were examined by the same interviewer using a detailed, precoded questionnaire based on the diagnostic criteria for psychiatric research proposed by Feighner et al. Affective disorders were present for 75% of the patients and were associated with older age, divorce and a shorter duration of marital status. Race, sex, education and income levels were not related to the presence of affective disorders. Sixty patients with diagnoses of primary affective disorders and 56 patients with diagnoses of secondary affective disorders were identified and studied. Secondary affective disorders were found to be associated with males, younger age (under 34), unmarried marital status, and lower income levels. Primary affective disorders were associated with higher annual incomes (over +4,000) and fewer individuals with a "some high school only" education. Forty one patients with diagnoses of unipolar primary affective disorders were examined. Sex, race, age, marital status and duration of marital status did not vary for the two groups and were not associated with polarity of affective disorders. Lower education and annual income levels both were demonstrated for patients with bipolar primary affective disorders.