Hypomanic switching caused by the psychological effects brought on by a change in environment due to hospital admission: two cases of bipolar II patients who showed a hypomanic switch.
Hypomanic episodes in two cases involving depressed patients (bipolar II) were observed after admission to an open psychiatric ward. The patients had not exhibited any prior (hypo)manic episodes during outpatient treatment. Thus, manic switching was thought to have been caused by the psychological effects brought on by the change in environment due to hospital admission. Hospital admission was believed to have been an unloading from their stressful lives, given that the affective state of both patients prior to admission was characterized by depression resulting from work-related stress. The close relationship between the patients and the predominantly female nursing staff may have triggered a psychological regression in both patients. These factors appear to have led to the hypomanic switching.
Abe
T
T
Department of Psychiatry, Jichi Medical School, Minamikawachi, Tochigi, Japan. abetak@jichi.ac.jp
Kato
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs