Inter-episode major and subclinical symptoms in affective disorder

A prospective 1-year study was conducted in 69 patients with affective disorder. Despite remission, there was a significant continued presence at each visit of major symptoms of mania and depression and of mean mood shift. Furthermore, sub-clinical affective symptoms, as determined by General Behavior Inventory self-rating scores completed at 4 month intervals, continued at a level throughout the entire year significantly higher in patients than in 14 normal controls. Finally, as expected, presence of subclinical symptoms on the GBI correlated significantly with presence of major symptoms and mood shift. Correlation varied from 0.55 to 0.61; all significances were less than 0.001.