Usefulness of the retrospective Life-Chart method manual in outpatients with a mood disorder: a feasibility study

The aim of this project was to evaluate whether the Life-Chart Manual (LCM) can help patients to complete their own Life-Chart (LC). All patients were recruited via the outpatient department for affective disorders of the Academic Hospital Maastricht. They were diagnosed as having a unipolar or bipolar disorder according to DSM-IV criteria. Following a short briefing interview, these patients were asked to complete their own LC for the last 6 years, using the manual. Seventy-four patients were selected, of whom 44 were willing to participate in the study. About half of these patients (n=20) completed the LC adequately (60-80% of the items completed) with only minimal professional help. Although patients found it difficult to complete the LC, most considered it worthwhile. The LCM is an adequate tool to help patients with a major affective disorder to complete their own LC with minimal professional assistance.