M. Strober et al., RECOVERY AND RELAPSE IN ADOLESCENTS WITH BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE-ILLNESS - A 5-YEAR NATURALISTIC, PROSPECTIVE FOLLOW-UP, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(6), 1995, pp. 724-731
Objective: This study was a 5-year naturalistic prospective follow-up
of 54 consecutive admissions of adolescents to a university inpatient
service with a diagnosis of bipolar I affective illness. Method: Subje
cts received structured clinical evaluations every 6 months after entr
y to establish time to recovery and subsequent relapse. Regression mod
els were used to identify predictors of differential course. Results:
Rate of recovery varied by polarity of episode at time of entry, with
quick recovery observed in subjects with pure mania or mixed states, a
nd a protracted index episode in subjects with pure depression. Multip
le relapses were most often seen in subjects with mixed or cycling epi
sodes at intake. Conclusions: Polarity of illness may have utility in
identifying bipolar adolescents with a more recurrent illness. Compari
son with adult data suggests that recurrence risks may vary as a funct
ion of age at onset or stage of the disease process.