Offspring of mothers with bipolar disorder: a systematic review considering personality features

To examine personality/temperament features and mental health vulnerability in offspring of mothers with bipolar disorders (BD), including dimensions which may impact psychological characteristics or therapeutic measures.

A systematic review, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, was conducted to search for original articles that investigated personality/temperament features of offspring of women with BD and emotional factors involved in the mother-child relationship. The electronic search was performed in the PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases from February 2010 to February 2017.

Ten quantitative studies were included in the analysis: seven from the United States, two from Brazil, and one from Canada. The narrative synthesis was categorized into three dimensions: 1) reliability of instruments for prediction of future psychopathology in offspring; 2) environmental risk factors for offspring; and 3) early interventions. The findings showed impairments in the offspring's lives, high rates of behavior and temperament problems, and psychiatric disorders.

BD is a frequent psychiatric disorder, and the offspring of mothers with this condition are exposed to complex family relationships and psychosocial difficulties. If they are to ensure a good provision of mental health and psychosocial care to this unique population, early interventions must not neglect their contextual specificities.

PROSPERO CRD-42017039010.