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Published on: December 2, 2015
Life events and primary affective disorders. A one year prospective study
Summary
Life events do not significantly precede recurrent affective episodes in chronic unipolar or bipolar illness. However, marital problems may precede recurrent hypomanic and manic episodes in bipolar disorder patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Investigated the relationship between life events and recurrent affective episodes in chronically ill unipolar and bipolar patients.
- Examined whether a higher number of life events precede the onset of recurrent affective episodes in these patient groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if chronic unipolar and bipolar patients experience more life events before recurrent affective episodes.
- To explore the specific impact of life events on the onset of depressive, hypomanic, and manic episodes in chronic affective disorders.
Main Methods:
- Study included 27 recovered bipolar patients, 24 recovered unipolar patients, and 26 healthy controls.
- Life events and psychiatric status were assessed via bimonthly interviews over one year.
- Utilized the Inventory for Recent Life Events and Research Diagnostic Criteria for assessments.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in the number of life events were found between unipolar and bipolar patients, regardless of episode intensity.
- Marital problems showed a trend towards an increase in bipolar patients preceding recurrent hypomanic and manic episodes (P = 0.06).
Conclusions:
- The causal link between life events and depression onset, observed in non-chronic conditions, does not extend to chronic affective disorders.
- Marital events appear to influence the onset of recurrent hypomanic and manic episodes in bipolar disorder.
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