Frequency of positive family history in bipolar patients in a catchment-area population.
1. Major family studies of bipolar disorder report the frequency of affective disorder among probands' relatives, but do not usually report the frequency of a positive family history among probands. A single previous study was not population based. 2. The Division of Psychiatry of Ben Gurion University provides virtually all psychiatric services for a catchment area of 300,000 people. The authors reviewed the charts of all 236 treated bipolar I patients in 1991, and interviewed 177 of them with a modified FH-RDC. 3. 48% of probands had a family history of mental illness. 4. However, the present methods of ascertainment may have been insufficiently sensitive.
Alexander
J R
JR
Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
Benjamin
J
J
Lerer
B
B
Baron
M
M
Belmaker
R H
RH
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data