Observations on the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

Sachs GS, Thase ME, Otto MW, Bauer M, et al. Rationale, design, and methods of the systematic treatment enhancement program for bipolar disorder (STEP-BD) Biol Psychiatry. 2003;53:1028-1042.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.
Ostacher MJ. The evidence for antidepressant use in bipolar depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006;67(suppl 11):18-21. Abstract
Marken PA, Pies RW. Emerging treatments for bipolar disorder: safety and adverse effect profiles. Ann Pharmacother. 2006;40:276-285. Abstract
Simon NM, Otto MW, Wisniewski SR, et al. Anxiety disorder comorbidity in bipolar disorder patients: data From the first 500 participants in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD). Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161:2222-2229. Abstract
Baldessarini RJ, Tondo L, Hennen J. Treating the suicidal patient with bipolar disorder. Reducing suicide risk with lithium. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2001;932:24-38. Abstract
Marken PA, Pies RW. Emerging treatments for bipolar disorder: safety and adverse effect profiles. Ann Pharmacother. 2006;40:276-285. Abstract
Tohen M, Hennen J, Zarate CM Jr, et al. Two-year syndromal and functional recovery in 219 cases of first-episode major affective disorder with psychotic features. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157:220-228. Abstract
Wyatt RJ, Henter I. An economic evaluation of manic-depressive illness--1991. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1995;30:213-219. Abstract
Gardner HH, Kleinman NL, Brook RA, Rajagopalan K, Brizee TJ, Smeeding JE. The economic impact of bipolar disorder in an employed population from an employer perspective. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006;67:1209-1218. Abstract
Perlick DA, Rosenheck RA, Miklowitz DJ, et al, and the STEP-BD Family Experience Collaborative Study Group. Prevalence and correlates of burden among caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder enrolled in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2007:9:262-273. Abstract
Ghaemi SN, Hsu DJ, Thase ME, et al. Pharmacological treatment patterns at study entry for the first 500 STEP-BD participants. Psychiatr Serv. 2006;57:660-665. Abstract
Perlis RH. Use of treatment guidelines in clinical decision making in bipolar disorder: a pilot survey of clinicians. Curr Med Res Opin. 2007;23:467-475. Abstract
Streeruwitz A, Barnes TR, Fehler J, Ohlsen R, Curtis VA. Pharmacological management of acute mania -- does current prescribing practice reflect treatment guidelines? J Psychopharmacol. 2007; 21:206-209.
Sachs GS, Nierenberg AA, Calabrese JR, et al. Effectiveness of adjunctive antidepressant treatment for bipolar depression. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:1711-1722. Abstract
Miklowitz DJ, Otto MW, Frank E, et al. Psychosocial treatments for bipolar depression: a 1-year randomized trial from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64:419-426. Abstract

processing....

The Financial and Emotional Impact of Bipolar Disease

The debilitating nature of bipolar disorder is a substantial burden not only for the patient, but also for the primary caregivers as well as for the entire healthcare system. Wyatt and Henter^[9] estimated that $7 billion is spent annually in the United States for both inpatient and outpatient costs associated with the disorder. Indirect costs (ie, lost productivity and caregiver expenses) were reported to be approximately $38 million per year. It has also been reported that the annual total direct and indirect medical costs in a managed-care setting were 3 times as high for people with bipolar disorder.^[10]

The burden placed on primary caregivers responsible for providing direct support to the bipolar patient was examined in a study within the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) trial. Caregivers reported the greatest degree of distress in response to problem behavior: 89% reported some form of distress, with 52% reporting distress in regard to role dysfunction, and 61% reported distress due to adverse effects. The study also found that those reporting higher levels of burden tended to be younger, live in the same household as the patient, and were frequently the spouse of the patient.^[11]

« Back

Page 2 of 5

Pharmacotherapy for Bipolar Depression

Print
Like Tweet

References

Faculty and Disclosures

Observations on the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: The Financial and Emotional Impact of Bipolar Disease

The Financial and Emotional Impact of Bipolar Disease