Mismatch between self-reported quality of life and functional assessment in acute mania: a matter of unawareness of illness?
BACKGROUND
Studies addressing self-reported quality of life (QoL) in acute mania are scarce and inconsistent. While it has been suggested that there is some disagreement between objective measures and subjective QoL as reported by acutely manic patients, this issue has not been systematically studied. This study aims to investigate the self-reported QoL in manic, depressed, and euthymic BD subjects, as compared to matched healthy controls.


METHODS
One-hundred and twenty type-I bipolar patients (40 manic, 40 depressed, and 40 euthymic) and 40 matched controls were studied. Self-reported QoL was assessed using the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Instrument-Short Version (WHOQOL-BREF). Objective functioning was assessed using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and depressive and manic symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 items (HDRS) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), respectively.


RESULTS
Manic patients presented the lowest GAF measures but reported same overall QoL as euthymic patients and controls, and better QoL than depressed patients. Within the manic subgroup, there was a significant inverse correlation between psychological QoL and GAF scores (r=-0.54; p=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The cross-sectional design and the lack of control for potential comorbid conditions are the major limitations of the present study.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that this mismatch between objective and subjective measures during acute mania may be associated with a lack of insight or awareness of their own illness.
Gazalle
Fernando Kratz
FK
Post-Graduate Psychiatry Program, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Frey
Benício Noronha
BN
Hallal
Pedro Curi
PC
Andreazza
Ana Cristina
AC
Cunha
Angelo Batista M
AB
Santin
Aida
A
Kapczinski
Flávio
F
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001364:Awareness; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires