Social functioning in first contact mania: clinical and neurocognitive correlates

To study social functioning, and its relationship with clinical and neurocognitive variables, in patients having their first treatment contact for a manic episode.

A total of 55 first contact mania patients, 34 with a first manic episode (FM) and 21 with previously untreated manic episodes (PM), and 110 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex and education to the patient group, completed the Social Functioning Scale (SFS), a self-reported assessment of social functioning. The patients also completed a broad neuropsychological test battery.

Both patient groups scored significantly lower on self-rated social functioning compared to healthy controls, with PM patients reporting significantly lower functioning than FM patients. There were no significant correlations between clinical symptoms and social functioning. On a trend level, a reduced SFS score was associated with more cannabis use, higher levels of depression and more depressive episodes as well as an earlier age at onset. There was no significant association between social function and neurocognition.

Social dysfunction was present in patients with BD at first treatment contact-the main predictors of which being the severity of clinical symptoms.