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- Title
Age at onset in 3014 Sardinian bipolar and major depressive disorder patients.
- Authors
Tondo, L.; Lepri, B.; Cruz, N.; Baldessarini, R. J.
- Abstract
Tondo L, Lepri B, Cruz N, Baldessarini RJ. Age at onset in 3014 Sardinian bipolar and major depressive disorder patients. Objective: To test if onset age in major affective illnesses is younger in bipolar disorder (BPD) than unipolar-major depressive disorder (UP-MDD), and is a useful measure. Method: We evaluated onset-age for DSM-IV-TR major illnesses in 3014 adults (18.5% BP-I, 12.5% BP-II, 69.0% UP-MDD; 64% women) at a mood-disorders center. Results: Median and interquartile range (IQR) onset-age ranked: BP-I = 24 (19–32) < BP-II = 29 (20–40) < UP-MDD = 32 (23–47) years ( P < 0.0001), and has remained stable since the 1970s. In BP-I patients, onset was latest for hypomania, and depression presented earlier than in BP-II or UP-MDD cases. Factors associated with younger onset included: i) being unmarried, ii) more education, iii) BPD-diagnosis, iv) family-history, v) being employed, vi) ever-suicidal, vii) substance-abuse and viii) ever-hospitalized. Onset-age distinguished BP-I from UP-MDD depressive onsets with weak sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: Onset age was younger among BPD than MDD patients, and very early onset may distinguish BPD vs. UP-MDD with depressive-onset.
- Subjects
BIPOLAR disorder; MENTAL depression; DEPRESSED persons; STANDARD deviations; PSYCHOSES
- Publication
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2010, Vol 121, Issue 6, p446
- ISSN
0001-690X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01523.x