The clinical features of perinatal women with bipolar disorder are much more severe than those of women seeking care for other psychiatric conditions, including greater history of suicidal behavior and substance abuse, and more difficulties during childbirth and while breastfeeding, a retrospective study of 334 pregnant and postpartum women suggests.
Cynthia L. Battle, Ph.D., of Butler Hospital in Providence, R.I., and her colleagues reviewed the clinical records of the women, who sought treatment at a specialized partial hospitalization program that serves patients during pregnancy and the first postpartum year. Their ages ranged from 15 to 43 years, and they came from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Less than half of the women in the sample were either married or had partners (J. Affect. Disord. 2014;158:97-100). Two-thirds were postpartum, and one-third of them were pregnant.
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Perinatal women with bipolar disorder were significantly more likely than those with other Axis I disorders to report extreme clinical features like suicidal behavior and substance abuse.
The investigators asked the patients to complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the facility’s Day Hospital Screener for self-reporting of psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder.
About 10% of women had a bipolar disorder diagnosis, including 19 with bipolar I disorder, 10 with bipolar II disorder, and 5 with bipolar not otherwise specified. Twenty-six percent reported bipolar disorder symptoms of elation, and 76% reported symptoms of irritability lasting 4 or more days within the previous month.
"Pregnant and postpartum women with [bipolar disorder] reported more extensive mental health histories, including prior use of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, as well as higher rates of prior substance abuse," the authors noted. Women with bipolar disorder were significantly more likely than those with other Axis I disorders to report prior suicidal behavior and attempts. A higher proportion of expectant mothers with bipolar disorder took psychotropics than did pregnant women with other disorders. Among postpartum women, mothers with bipolar disorder were more likely to report delivery complications and difficulties breastfeeding their babies.
Although analyses were limited to data recorded in the charts, the current findings "shed light on the clinical and demographic features associated with perinatal bipolar disorder," including a high level of functional impairment experienced by these women, the authors wrote. The high level of self-reported symptoms of elation and irritability "underscore the importance of consistently assessing for mania and hypomania during pregnancy and postpartum."
While bipolar disorder guidelines recommend maintenance pharmacotherapy and adjunctive psychotherapy, the authors say, "tailored psychosocial interventions have not yet been developed for this population. ... Patient-centered decision support and development of tailored adjunctive psychotherapies for perinatal [bipolar disorder] may play a key role in helping women with [bipolar disorder] remain engaged in treatment during pregnancy and postpartum."
Dr. Battle and her colleagues noted several limitations of the study. For example, because the methodology used was retrospective, their analyses were limited to data that had been recorded in the charts.
This study was unfunded; one author was supported in part through a National Institutes of Health mentored career development award. The authors reported no relevant financial conflicts of interest.