Asian Journal of Psychiatry
Volume 3, Issue 2 , Pages 55-59, June 2010

Psycho-social outcomes for persons with bipolar-I disorder: Eight-year follow-up of a rural cohort from south India

  • Mohit P. Chopra

      Affiliations

    • VA Boston Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Geriatric Mental Health, 3-5-C, VA Boston Healthcare System, 940 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301, United States. Tel.: +1 774 826 3720; fax: +1 774 826 3724.
    • ,
  • K.V. Kishore Kumar

      Affiliations

    • National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
    • ,
  • Sanjeev Jain

      Affiliations

    • National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
    • ,
  • R. Srinivasa Murthy

      Affiliations

    • National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India

Received 3 June 2009; received in revised form 27 February 2010; accepted 7 March 2010. published online 16 August 2011.

Abstract 

Background

Assess psycho-social outcomes in a rural cohort of patients with bipolar-I disorder (BD).

Methods

Detailed evaluations were performed using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation (LIFE) assessments of community-based BD patients in southern India. Several subjective and objective outcome measures were examined.

Results

Only half the cohort could be described as having a good overall outcome, with persistent difficulties in inter-personal relationships in a substantial proportion of patients. Separation or divorce, or co-morbid alcohol dependence impacted a higher proportion of female patients compared to males.

Conclusions

In spite of the small cohort size, this longitudinal study indicates mixed outcomes for BD patients in this setting, with several patients showing enduring psycho-social and global impairments. Even though symptomatic recovery for BD patients might be better in developing countries compared to those observed in developed nations, the notion of better psycho-social outcomes for BD in developing countries needs closer re-examination in larger cohorts.

Keywords: Bipolar disorder, Manic-depression, Outcome, Prognosis, Psycho-social

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PII: S1876-2018(10)00017-1

doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2010.03.006

Asian Journal of Psychiatry
Volume 3, Issue 2 , Pages 55-59, June 2010

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