Impact of early onset bipolar disorder on family functioning:: Adolescents’ perceptions of family dynamics, communication, and problems

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 66; no. 1; pp. 25 - 37
• Main Authors: Robertson, Heather A, Kutcher, Stan P, Bird, Diane, Grasswick, Linda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-09-2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis; Bipolar Disorder - genetics; Bipolar Disorder - psychology; Bipolar disorders; Bipolar I; Communication; Cost of Illness; Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder, Major - genetics; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Family Relations; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Parent-Child Relations; Perceived family functioning; Personality Inventory; Problem Solving; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Social Adjustment; Unipolar; Youth; Youth; Unipolar; Bipolar I; Perceived family functioning; Human; Mood disorder; Sex; Depression; Bipolar disorder; Sibling; Subjective evaluation; Parent child relation; Symptomatology; Age of onset; Mother; Adolescent; Family environment; Familial relation; Father; Comparative study; Communication
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00281-0

Objective: This research investigated the impact of adolescent onset bipolar illness on perceived family functioning in stabilized bipolar I (B) and unipolar (U) probands, and normal controls (C).
Method: Sample
N=119: 44 bipolar 1(17 M, 27 F), 30 unipolar (9 M, 21 F), and 45 controls (19 M, 26 F). Mean ages: 19.9, 18.5 and 18.2 years, respectively.
Instruments: Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES II), Parent–Adolescent Communication Scales (PACS), Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA).
Results: There were no significant group or sex differences between controls and mood disordered youth – assessed intermorbidly – in ratings of relationship with either parent. Bipolars acknowledged significantly more minor conflicts with parents than either unipolars or controls. Ratings by mood disordered subjects were significantly less positive in terms of shared activities and communication with siblings. Mood disordered youth and controls were not differentiated on the basis of family adaptability, and all family cohesion scores were within population norms. No significant group differences were observed in communication with parents.
Limitations: This self-report study was conducted intermorbidly, does not include objective measures of family functioning, nor does it assess the effect of psychiatric illness in other family members on family functioning.
Conclusions: Assessed intermorbidly, bipolar adolescents’ perceptions of family dynamics do not seem to diverge significantly from controls. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of adolescent bipolar illness on family life during acute phases of the illness, as well as the effect on family functioning of psychiatric disorders in other family members.