Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Bipolar disorder and recovery from depression

Some researchers think that people with depression who also show some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder are less likely to respond well to treatment. A team of researchers led by Roy H. Perlis from Harvard Medical School looked into this issue in a study of 4,041 people taking part in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. They found that irritability and symptoms of psychosis (delusions and hallucinations) at the start of the study were significantly associated with poorer treatment outcomes but other symptoms of bipolar disorder and a family history of the condition weren't.

Perlis, Roy H. ... [et al] - Association between bipolar spectrum features and treatment outcomes in outpatients with major depressive disorder Archives of General Psychiatry doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.179

1 comment:

Peter Lynch said...

Check out my semi-autobiographical account of a young man's struggles with bipolar disorder and his descent into madness:

newmanx.blogspot.com