title: Affective temperaments' relation to functional impairment and affective recurrences in bipolar disorder patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognostic significance of affective temperaments in bipolar disorder is not yet fully understood. This study therefore examined the relationship between affective temperaments and two major illness outcomes in bipolar disorder: functional impairment and affective recurrences.
  
  
  METHODS
  At baseline fifty-one remitted bipolar disorder patients were administered the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A), and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS). The patients were followed for 24 months as part of their routine treatment. At follow-up, data on affective recurrences were obtained through medical records combined with a semi-structured interview that enquired into medication adherence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scores on the cyclothymic temperament correlated significantly with functional impairment overall and with scores in three function domains: home-management, private leisure activities and social leisure activities. High scores on the cyclothymic temperament also significantly predicted the presence of depressive recurrences even when controlling for medication non-adherence. The presence of hypomanic or manic recurrences was not predicted by scores on any of the affective temperaments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since all of the bipolar patients were newly diagnosed and therefore relatively young, the representativeness of the results may have been reduced. The prospective part of the study used data from medical records that may not be as systematic as data gathered from structured clinical interviews.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By suggesting that the cyclothymic temperament is related to both functional impairment and depressive recurrences the findings highlight a vulnerability area in need of further exploration in terms of its prognostic significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Jens Chr. Skous Vej 4, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark. kahr@psy.au.dk
authors.forename: Kristine Kahr
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Krista Nielsen
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Straarup
authors.forename: Carsten René
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Rasmus Wentzer
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Licht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013694:Temperament