ePrints

Role of childhood adversity in the development of medical co-morbidities associated with bipolar disorder

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Heinz Grunze

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

Objective: A role for childhood adversity in the development of numerous medical conditions in adults has been described in the general population, but has not been examined in patients with bipolar disorder who have multiple medical comorbidities which contribute to their premature mortality.Methods: More than 900 outpatients (average age 41) with bipolar disorder completed questionnaires that included information about the occurrence of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse in childhood and whether their parents had a mood or substance abuse disorder, or a history of suicidality. These factors were combined to form a total childhood adversity score, which was then related to one or more of 30 medical conditions patients rated as present or absent.Results: The child adversity score was significantly related to the total number of medical comorbidities a patient had (p<.001), as well as to 11 specific medical conditions that could be modeled in a logistic regression (p<.03). These included: asthma, arthritis, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic menstrual irregularities, fibromyalgia, head injury (without loss of consciousness), hypertension, hypotension, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraine headaches.Limitations: The contribution of parental diagnosis to childhood adversity is highly inferential.Conclusions: These data link childhood adversity to the later occurrence of multiple medical conditions in adult outpatients with bipolar disorder. Recognition of these relationships and early treatment intervention may help avert a more severe course of not only bipolar disorder but also of its prominent medical comorbidities and their combined adverse effects on patients'health, wellbeing, and longevity. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Post RM, Altshuler LL, Leverich GS, Frye MA, Suppes T, McElroy SL, Keck PE, Nolen WA, Kupka RW, Grunze H, Rowe M

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders

Year: 2013

Volume: 147

Issue: 1-3

Pages: 288-294

Print publication date: 01/05/2013

Online publication date: 18/01/2013

Acceptance date: 06/11/2012

ISSN (print): 0165-0327

ISSN (electronic): 1573-2517

Publisher: Elsevier

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.11.020

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.11.020

Altmetrics

Share