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Identifying bipolar disorders in individuals with intellectual disability.
N N Cain1, P W Davidson, A M Burhan
1University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA. nancy_cain@urmc.rochester.edu
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR
|February 1, 2003
Summary
Adults with intellectual disability and bipolar disorder (BPD) show distinct symptoms. The study confirms that Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria effectively differentiate BPD from other psychiatric conditions in this population.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Intellectual Disability Research
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Intellectual disability (ID) often co-occurs with psychiatric disorders.
- Diagnosing bipolar disorder (BPD) in individuals with ID presents diagnostic challenges due to overlapping symptoms with other conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize adults with ID and comorbid BPD.
- To evaluate the utility of DSM-IV criteria in distinguishing BPD from other psychiatric diagnoses in adults with ID.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of adult patients with ID and psychiatric disorders over three years.
- Application of DSM-IV criteria to differentiate BPD from major depression, depression with psychosis, and schizophrenia/psychosis NOS.
- Cataloguing and comparison of behavioral symptoms across diagnostic groups.
Main Results:
- Individuals with BPD exhibited significantly more mood-related and non-mood-related symptoms compared to other groups.
- Greater functional impairments were observed in the BPD group.
- Distinct behavioral profiles differentiated the BPD group from patients with major depression, depression with psychosis, or schizophrenia/psychosis NOS.
Conclusions:
- Bipolar disorder is recognizable and distinguishable from other psychiatric diagnoses in individuals with ID.
- DSM-IV criteria are valuable tools for diagnosing BPD in this population.