ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between age of onset and phenomenology of bipolar affective disorder (mania). METHOD: The current and retrospective diagnoses of the patients were made according to DSM-IV Bipolar Affective Disorder (mania) criteria. Sociodemographic features, clinical features, type of episode, number and length of hospitalizations were investigated in three groups which were consisted of adolescent-onset adolescents (n=60), adolescent-onset adults (n=60) and adult-onset adults (n=60). The groups were determined according to age of onset and current age categories. All patients have been assessed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-Clinical Version (SCID-I), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS). RESULTS: The groups were consisted of equal numbers of women and men. Rate of single (%51.7) and divorced patients (%21.7), rate of unemployment status (%70) were higher in adolescent-onset patients than adult-onsets. Adolescent-onset adolescents and adolescent-onset adults were different from adult-onset patients with respect to mixt episodes (%26.7, %15) and mood congruent or incongruent psychotic features (%35/%50, %31.7/%66.7) and length of hospitalization (23.9+/-4.8, 23.8+/-3.9). CONCLUSION: Adolescent-onset of illness causes higher probability of mixt episodes, psychotic features such as mood congruent or incongruent hallucinations and delusions. This study supports the hypothesis that adolescent-onset mania may be a different subtype than adult-onset mania with respect to type of episode, phenomenology, and clinical features.
