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Insight, quality of life and cognitive functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder
Vasco Videira Dias1, Sofia Brissos, Benicio N Frey
1Autonomous University of Lisbon (UAL), Lisbon, Portugal. v.dias@netcabo.pt
Introduction:
The relationship between insight, quality of life and cognition in bipolar disorder has not been clearly established.
Method:
A neuropsychological battery assessing attention, mental control, perceptual-motor skills, executive functions, verbal fluency, abstraction and visuo-spatial attention was administered to 70 remitted bipolar patients and 50 healthy controls. Insight was assessed using the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder; Quality of Life was assessed using the Portuguese version of the WHO Quality of Life Assessment--Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF-PT).
Results:
No differences in QoL and cognitive performance were observed between bipolar patients with 'impaired' and 'preserved' insight. Insight was found to be correlated with poorer psychological and environmental QoL. A multiple regression model showed that depressive symptoms were significant predictors of physical, psychological and environmental QoL.
Conclusion:
The present study adds to the notion that depressive symptoms, even of low intensity, are strong predictors of QoL. The present study suggests that the impact of insight on self-reported QoL may be subtle during remission and may be more substantially affected in the presence of manic symptoms.
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