Predictors of employment in bipolar disorder: a systematic review

Severe work impairment can be present for a considerable proportion of the course of bipolar disorder (BD) and is costly for governments, services and individuals. Understanding predictors of employment in BD is therefore crucial as some may be susceptible to interventions. We conducted a systematic review of prospective studies in order to identify predictors of employment in people with BD.

We searched Medline, PsychInfo, EMBASE and Web of Science databases, hand searched 3 journals and used predetermined criteria to select papers for full text inclusion. Sixty seven papers were identified. Nine met inclusion criteria, with a total sample of 3184.

Studies included in this review identified cognitive deficits (67%, n=4), depression (43%, n=3) and level of education (33%, n=2) as predictors of employment in BD patients. Bipolar depression not only affects whether someone is employed but also time off work. Even sub-syndromal depression appears to damage employment prospects. Verbal memory and executive functioning appear to be predictors of work functioning.

Conclusions are based on a relatively small number of studies and are therefore subject to change with the addition of further studies. A formal meta-regression was not possible due to differences between measures of employment and work functioning.

Better assessment and management of depression and cognitive difficulties could improve the occupational functioning of BD patients. There is a need for high quality longitudinal studies specifically designed to investigate predictors of employment in large bipolar disorder samples.