Bipolar Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bipolar, including details on bipolar disorder, symptoms, treatment, depression, medication.

Clinical outcome in patients with bipolar I disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or both.

Centorrino F, Hennen J, Mallya G, Egli S, Clark T, Baldessarini RJ

Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BPD) is often comorbid with obsessive-compulsive (OCD) and other anxiety disorders, but the impact of such comorbidity on long-term outcome has not been evaluated systematically. METHODS: Extensive follow-up assessments were carried out at 4.3 years after index hospitalizations in a mixed BPD-OCD group (N = 20) compared to matched groups with BPD (N = 22) or OCD (N = 20) alone. RESULTS: At follow-up, ratings of functional status were similar across groups. Rehospitalizations were similar among BPD-OCD and BPD subjects, but 2.9-times more frequent among comorbid than OCD patients. OCD symptoms averaged 150% more severe in OCD than comorbid subjects, and were not measured in BPD subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Despite potential sampling bias with previously hospitalized subjects, the findings suggest that comorbid BPD-OCD patients may be clinically more similar to BPD than OCD patients, and that BPD-OCD comorbidity may not negatively impact the long-term clinical outcome. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Published 25 April 2006 in Hum Psychopharmacol, 21(3): 189-93.
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