title: Predictors of patient and caregiver distress in an adult sample with bipolar disorder seeking family treatment.
abstract: Little is known about the potentially unique sources of distress in populations seeking family-oriented treatment for bipolar disorder. The present study aimed to characterize this new treatment population by measuring depression, anxiety, quality of life, knowledge of bipolar disorder, therapeutic alliance, and mental illness stigma in 43 bipolar patients and 41 caregivers at family treatment intake. In all, 50% of patients and 27.6% of caregivers had significant depressive symptoms, whereas 51.2% of patients and 45.5% of caregivers had significant anxiety symptoms. Caregiver anxiety was inversely related to patient anxiety, stigma, and poor alliance. Treatment nonadherence was associated with more anxiety and stigma in patients and less anxiety in caregivers. In summary, family-oriented bipolar treatment seekers are significantly distressed at intake, and may benefit from lowering anxiety and stigma in patients and raising awareness and concern in caregivers. Future research should further clarify the complex relationships between caregiver and patient symptoms and attitudes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Medical Center, 317 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA. aimlee@chpnet.org
authors.forename: Allison M R
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simeon
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Igor I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Galynker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests