First episode in bipolar disorder: misdiagnosis and psychotic symptoms.
BACKGROUND
This study explores factors that can influence other psychotic diagnoses in the first episode of a DSM-III-R bipolar disorder.


METHODS
It includes all 163 bipolar in-patients and out-patients in the state of Alava, North of Spain (Basque country) from February 1994 to May 1996. Patients were divided into two non-overlapping groups: unstable diagnoses, bipolars with an initial diagnosis of schizophrenia (or other psychosis), and stable diagnoses of bipolar disorder.


RESULTS
A logistic regression analysis using marital status, age at onset and mood incongruent psychotic symptoms found that the latter was the only independent factor significantly associated with an unstable diagnosis.
Santiago Apostol Hospital, Vitoria, Spain.
A
A
Gonzalez-Pinto
M
M
Gutierrez
F
F
Mosquera
J
J
Ballesteros
P
P
Lopez
J
J
Ezcurra
J L
JL
Figuerido
J
J
de Leon
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis; D013030:Spain