Mental health service use by elderly patients with bipolar disorder and unipolar major depression.
Symptoms, functioning, and mental health service use were compared in older out-patients with bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. Bipolar outpatients (n = 37, mean age = 69.7) had higher total symptom severity and positive symptom scores, more impaired community-living skills, and earlier age at onset of illness than patients with unipolar depression (n = 85, mean age = 70.9). Bipolar elderly patients used almost four times the total amount of mental health services and were four times more likely to have had a psychiatric hospitalization over the previous 6 months. These findings underscore the need for effective services for elderly patients with bipolar disorder, who account for a minority of patients with affective disorders, but use a disproportionate amount of costly services.
Bartels
S J
SJ
NH-Drtmouth Psychiatric Research Center, Lebanon 03766, USA.
Forester
B
B
Miles
K M
KM
Joyce
T
T
D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009513:New Hampshire / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014600:Utilization Review