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[Posttraumatic stress disorder and bipolar mood disorder]
Rodrigo Machado Vieira1, Gabriel J C Gauer
1Programa de Transtorno de Humor Bipolar do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre-UFRGS. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. rvieira@usp.br
Revista Brasileira De Psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999)
|October 3, 2003
Summary
Bipolar disorder (BD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occur, with trauma influencing BD development and severity. Systematically assessing trauma history in BD patients is crucial for better management.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Context:
- Bipolar disorder (BD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are significant mental health conditions.
- The comorbidity of BD and PTSD is more prevalent than previously recognized.
- Trauma exposure can precipitate BD and exacerbate its course.
Purpose:
- To critically review the current literature on the comorbidity of BD and PTSD.
- To highlight epidemiological, etiological, and clinical aspects of this dual diagnosis.
- To discuss current pharmacological treatment approaches and their limitations.
Summary:
- Severe negative life events, including trauma, significantly impact the onset and progression of bipolar disorder.
- The co-occurrence of BD and PTSD is linked to increased symptom severity, particularly in psychotic patients with trauma histories.
- Trauma-related symptoms in PTSD can trigger mood changes in individuals with BD, potentially mediated by kindling and sensitization mechanisms.
Impact:
- Emphasizes the critical need for routine trauma history evaluation in all patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
- Suggests that understanding the interplay between trauma and BD/PTSD can inform more targeted therapeutic strategies.
- Highlights the current lack of controlled pharmacological approaches for managing this complex comorbidity.