Psychiatric comorbidities in bipolar disorders: An examination of the prevalence and chronology of onset according to sex and bipolar subtype.

OBJECTIVES: Bipolar Disorder (BD) is frequently comorbid with other psychiatric disorders. However, few studies systematically examine which disorders are more likely to occur pre- or post-BD onset. We examine the prevalence and Age At Onset (AAO) of psychiatric conditions in adults with BD. METHODS: A structured clinical interview was used to assess lifetime history and AAO of alcohol and cannabis misuse, suicide attempts, anxiety and eating disorders in a French sample of euthymic patients with BD (n = 739). Regression analyses were used to test for statistically significant associations between rates and AAO of comorbidities in BD groups stratified by sex or subtype. RESULTS: Prevalence of alcohol and cannabis misuse was associated with male sex and BD-I subtype; whilst most anxiety and eating disorders were associated with female sex. The AAO of most comorbid conditions preceded that of BD, except for panic disorder, agoraphobia and alcohol misuse. Few variations were observed in AAO of comorbidities according to groups. LIMITATIONS: All assessments were retrospective, so estimates of prevalence rates and especially exact AAO of some comorbidities are at risk of recall bias. CONCLUSIONS: Sex and BD subtype are associated with different rates of comorbid disorders. However, there were minimal between group differences in median AAO of comorbidities. By describing the chronological sequence of comorbidities in BD we were able to demonstrate that a minority of comorbidities typically occurred post-onset of BD. This is noteworthy as these disorders might be amenable to interventions aimed at early secondary prevention.

Tobacco smoking and other substance use disorders associated with recurrent suicide attempts in bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Suicide attempts (SA) are more frequent in bipolar disorder (BD) than in most other mental disorders. Prevention strategies would benefit from identifying the risk factors of SA recurrence in BD. Substance use disorders (SUD) (including tobacco-related) are strongly associated with both BD and SA, however, their specific role for the recurrence of SA in BD remains inadequately investigated. Thus, we tested if tobacco smoking - with or without other SUDs - was independently associated with recurrent SA in BD. METHODS: 916 patients from France and Norway with ascertained diagnoses of BD and reliable data about SA and SUD were classified as having no, single, or recurrent (≥2) SA. Five SUD groups were built according to the presence/absence/combination of tobacco, alcohol (AUD) and cannabis use disorders. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify the correlates of SA recurrence. RESULTS: 338 (37%) individuals reported at least one SA, half of whom (173, 51%) reported recurrence. SUD comorbidity was: tobacco smoking only, 397 (43%), tobacco smoking with at least another SUD, 179 (20%). Regression analysis showed that tobacco smoking, both alone and comorbid with AUD, depressive polarity of BD onset and female gender were independently associated with recurrent SA. LIMITATIONS: Lack of data regarding the relative courses of SA and SUD and cross-national differences in main variables. CONCLUSION: Tobacco smoking with- or without additional SUD can be important risk factors of SA recurrence in BD, which is likely to inform both research and prevention strategies.

Gender-specific study of recurrent suicide attempts in outpatients with multiple substance use disorders.

BACKGROUND: people suffering from substance use disorders (SUD) often die by suicide, so that the prevention of suicide attempts (SA) remains a top priority in this population. SA recurrence is common and is associated with suicide death, but this phenotype has been overlooked in SUD populations. Thus, we aimed at identifying the risk factors of SA recurrence in SUD, controlling for both gender and levels of exposure to addictive substances, including tobacco. METHODS: we consecutively recruited 433 treatment-seeking outpatients with either opiate or cocaine use disorder and assessed their lifetime history of addictive and suicidal symptoms by standardized questionnaires. They were reliably classified as never, single or recurrent (≥ 2) suicide attempters, whose characteristics were identified by multinomial regression, stratified by gender; and compared to our previous work on serious SA in order to identify common or different risk profiles. RESULTS: 86/140 (61%) suicide attempters reported recurrence. The mean number of SA was 3.1. Recurrence was independently associated with psychiatric hospitalization in both genders, with nicotine dependence in men and with sedative use disorders in women. LIMITATIONS: psychiatric diagnoses were derived from the current medication regimen. CONCLUSION: specific and possibly avoidable/treatable risk factors for the recurrence of SA in SUD have been identified for the first time, opening new avenues for research and prevention in this high-risk population. Apart from nicotine dependence, these risk factors were very similar to those of serious SA. Although this comparison is indirect for now, it suggests a common liability towards suicidal behavior.

Serious suicide attempts in outpatients with multiple substance use disorders.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a major public health concern and suicide attempts (SA) are frequent and burdensome in people suffering from substance use disorders (SUDs). In particular, serious SAs are a preoccupying form of attempt, which remain largely overlooked in these populations, especially regarding basic risk factors such as gender, addictive comorbidity and substance use patterns. Thus, we undertook a gender-specific approach to identify the risk factors for serious SAs in outpatients with multiple SUDs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 433 Treatment-seeking outpatients were consecutively recruited in specialized care centers and reliably classified as serious, non-serious and non-suicide attempters. We also characterized lifetime exposure to SUDs, including tobacco smoking, with standardized instruments. Current medication, including psychotropic treatments were collected, which informed psychiatric diagnoses. Multinomial regression identified independent factors specifically associated with serious SAs in each gender, separately. RESULTS: 32% Participants (N=139, 47% Women and 27% Men) reported lifetime SA. There were 82 serious attempters (59% of attempters), without significant gender difference. Sedative dependence was an independent risk factor for serious SA compared to non-SA in Women and compared to non-serious SA in Men, respectively. Other risk factors included later onset of daily tobacco smoking in Men and history of psychiatric hospitalizations in Women, whose serious SA risk was conversely lower when reporting opiate use disorder or mood disorder, probably because of treatment issues. CONCLUSIONS: Despite several study limitations, we identified subgroups for a better-tailored prevention of serious SAs among individuals with SUDs, notably highlighting the need to better prevent and treat sedative dependence.

Physical and mental health burden in cases of bipolar disorder classified as current, former, or non-tobacco smokers.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking increases the global burden of bipolar disorder (BD). We examined markers of physical and mental health that are associated with tobacco smoking, controlling for confounders that have not always been considered in previous studies of BD. METHODS: Over 600 individuals with BD I or II referred to the French Network for bipolar disorder (FACE-BD) who completed standardized assessments, and could be reliably classified as current (CS) or former smokers (FS), were compared with those who were never smokers (NS) on: BD symptom load and psychiatric comorbidities; prevalence of alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUD); medication usage; functioning and physical health parameters. The bivariate and multivariate analyses took into account age and gender. RESULTS: 300 cases (49%) were CS, 78 (13%) FS and 238 (39%) had never smoked. Rates were similar across genders regardless of BD subtype. Compared with NS, CS were more likely to have an ASUD (Odds Ratio (OR) 5.18), BD I (OR 2.09), and lower abdominal obesity (OR 0.97), and FS were more likely to have an ASUD (OR 6.32) and higher abdominal obesity (OR 1.03). LIMITATIONS: The sample comprised of white Europeans; the FS subgroup was relatively small and we did not apply any statistical correction for the bivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The increased risk of physical and mental health burden in CS and FS compared to NS represents avoidable morbidity in BD. This study offers support to the argument that individuals with BD should be routinely offered support to prevent or stop tobacco smoking.

Cannabis use disorder is associated with greater illness severity in tobacco smoking patients with bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Cannabis use disorders (CUD) may influence the course of bipolar disorder (BD), but key confounding factors such as tobacco smoking have not been adequately addressed. This study examined whether CUD was associated with a more severe illness course in tobacco smoking BD patients. METHODS: A sample of French and Norwegian tobacco smoking patients with BD I and II (N=642) was investigated. DSM-IV diagnoses and other characteristics were obtained through personal interviews using structured questionnaires. The association between CUD and illness course was assessed in regression analyses. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, CUD was associated with earlier BD onset, higher frequency of manic (in BD I) and depressive episodes and hospitalizations per illness year, and a higher occurrence of psychotic episodes. After controlling for potential confounders, the relationships with earlier BD onset (B=-5.60 95% CI=-7.65 to -3.64), and increased rates of manic episodes (OR=1.93, 95% CI: 1.15 to 3.23) and hospitalizations (OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.85 to 4.64) remained statistically significant. LIMITATIONS: Despite the multivariate approach, differences between the two samples may lead to spurious findings related to hidden confounders. Substance use and mood episode information was collected retrospectively, and potential birth cohort effects could not be controlled for. CONCLUSION: Studies have found associations between tobacco smoking and poorer outcomes in BD. In this study on tobacco smoking BD patients we report an association between CUD and illness severity, suggesting that CUD exacerbates the disease evolution independently of tobacco smoking. Specific treatment and prevention programs addressing CUD in BD patients are warranted.

[Days out of role due to common mental and physical disorders: French results from the WHO World Mental Health surveys]. / Perte d'activité due à des problèmes de santé habituels : résultats français de l'étude OMS sur les troubles mentaux (WMH).

INTRODUCTION: The burden of health problems, including mental disorders, can be assessed in several ways such as through healthcare costs or loss of productivity. Their impact on daily activities as a whole has received much less attention, especially in France. Therefore, we undertook the analysis of the French general population data from the World Mental Health (WMH) surveys promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) assessing the number of days out of role due to common mental and physical disorders. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were carried out with 2894 respondents (45.9% pooled response rate). Presence of ten chronic physical disorders and nine mental disorders was assessed for each respondent along with information about the number of days in the past month each respondent reported being totally unable to work or carry out their other normal daily activities because of problems with either physical or mental health. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate associations of specific conditions and comorbidities with days out of role, after controlling for basic socio-demographics. RESULTS: One thousand four hundred and thirty-six subjects reporting at least one core-symptom of a mental disorder underwent the whole assessment. The mean annual number of days out of role was high among those with at least one mental disorder (24.2±8.3). The population attributable risk proportion (PARP), i.e. the proportion of days out of role that would have been avoided if the considered disorder had remitted, was also estimated. Mental disorders as a whole accounted for 49.5% of the PARP. DISCUSSION: French data on days out of role from the WHO WMH surveys showed the high burden of mental illness in the general population. These results may have been underestimated, taking into account that subjects who were hospitalized at the time of recruitment, whose disorders might also account for a high proportion of days out of role, could not be assessed with our design. CONCLUSION: Common health conditions, especially mental disorders, make up a large proportion of the number of days out of role. Such data should be considered to design more efficient public health strategies.