The long-term course of bipolar disorders has been investigated in several studies.
The aim of this investigation was to gain more information about the differences of
bipolar I and bipolar II disorders. We reviewed the NIMH lifechart-clinician version
of patients with bipolar I (n=31) and bipolar II (n=18) disorders treated in a specialized
bipolar outpatient clinic and participated in the “Naturalistic follow-up study“ (Nfs)
of the SFBN. Number of days marked for depression, mania, and euthymia were compared
semiannually. In addition, number of days of psychotropic medication were compared
semiannually as well. Mean follow-up was 26? 12.5 months. Patients stabilized over
time in terms of an increase of euthymic days. But we noticed in bipolar II patients
an increase of hypomanic days during follow-up. In regard to medication bipolar I
patients taking more mood stabilizers, while the most frequently taken medication
in bipolar II patients were antidepressants. Patients stabilized in a special bipolar
outpatient clinic, but bipolar II is still unsatisfactorily treated. Favouring moodstabilizers
instead of antidepressants for treatment of bipolar II disorders might improve the
long-term course of this entity of illness.
This study was supported by We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Vada and
Theodore Stanley Foundation.
