The use of antidepressant medications for Bipolar I and II disorders

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2021-02, Vol.296, p.113273, Article 113273
• Main Authors: Serafini, Gianluca, Vazquez, Gustavo, Monacelli, Fiammetta, Pardini, Matteo, Pompili, Maurizio, Amore, Mario
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidepressant medications; Bipolar disorder; Coping strategies; Hopelessness; Personal autonomy
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113273

•Antidepressant drugs continue to be commonly prescribed in bipolar disorder.•After regression analyses, factors associated with antidepressant use by were reduced personal autonomy, and hopelessness levels.•A better understanding of patterns/correlates related to antidepressant use may improve the management of different BD subtypes. Given that the patterns and clinical correlates related to antidepressant drugs (ADs) prescription for Bipolar Disorder (BD) remain generally unclear, this study aimed to compare socio-demographic and clinical features of BD patients treated vs. not treated with ADs. The sample consists of 287 currently euthymic bipolar patients. Among participants (mean age=51.9±15.02), 157 54.7% were receiving ADs. Based on the main findings, subjects given ADs were older and more frequently retired than those without receiving ADs. Moreover, patients given ADs were more likely to have had a first major depressive episode. Lifetime substance abuse/dependence history was less frequently reported among patients given ADs. Furthermore, ADs given patients had a higher number of affective episodes, and longer duration of their illness. Additionally, subjects treated with ADs reported higher hopelessness levels, and lower positive reinterpretations than those who were not treated with ADs. Factors associated with ADs-use by multivariate modeling were reduced personal autonomy (OR=.070), and hopelessness levels (OR=1.391). These results may help clinicians to better understand the clinical correlates of BD subtypes and improve their differential management. Additional studies are needed to replicate these findings, and facilitate the differential trajectories of BD patients based on socio-demographic/clinical profiles.