Alcoholism and anxiety in bipolar illness: differential lifetime anxiety comorbidity in bipolar I women with and without alcoholism.
BACKGROUND
This study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence rate of anxiety comorbidity in bipolar subjects with and without alcohol use disorders (AUD).


METHODS
Bipolar men and women who entered the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network (SFBN) underwent a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV) and were divided into those subjects meeting current or lifetime criteria for an alcohol use disorder (AUD=213) vs. those subjects who did not (non-AUD=137). Lifetime rates of comorbid anxiety disorder were evaluated between groups.


RESULTS
Of 350 subjects, 163 (46.5%) met criteria for an anxiety disorder. Panic disorder and OCD were the most common anxiety disorders in the AUD and non-AUD groups. OCD and specific phobia were significantly less prevalent in BP I patients with AUD compared to those without. Bipolar women with AUD had a significantly higher rate of PTSD than those without.


CONCLUSIONS
These data highlight the added liability of anxiety comorbidity in BP disorder. Specifically, the greater amount of PTSD and lesser amount of OCD in bipolar women with alcohol comorbidity may have important diagnostic and treatment implications beyond dual diagnosis. Further study in comorbidity patterns is encouraged to not only better understand illness burden, but to maximize pattern-specific treatment outcomes.
Levander
Eric
E
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Frye
Mark A
MA
McElroy
Susan
S
Suppes
Trisha
T
Grunze
Heinz
H
Nolen
Willem A
WA
Kupka
Ralph
R
Keck
Paul E
PE
Leverich
Gabriele S
GS
Altshuler
Lori L
LL
Hwang
Sun
S
Mintz
Jim
J
Post
Robert M
RM
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology