Clinical Edge

Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

Patients with BD-I, PTSD at High Risk for Suicide

Compr Psychiatry; ePub 2016 Aug 18; Reddy, et al

Patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to be a high risk population with need for enhanced monitoring of suicidality, a recent study found. Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort chart review of 230 psychiatric inpatients with BD-I. They found:

  • Patients with BD-I and comorbid PTSD were more likely to be female, to be depressed (vs manic), to have a comorbid personality disorder, and to have a history of suicide attempt.
  • BD-I patients with PTSD were significantly less likely to present for their inpatient hospital stay with psychosis.
  • These effects remained significant after controlling for mood episode polarity, suggesting that findings were not fully explained by the higher incidence of depression in the comorbid PTSD group.

Citation:

Reddy MK, Meyer TD, Wittlin NM, Miller IW, Weinstock LM. Bipolar I disorder with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder: Demographic and clinical correlates in a sample of hospital patients. [Published online ahead of print August 18, 2016]. Compr Psychiatry. doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2016.08.007.