Clinical correlates of eating disorders comorbidity in women with bipolar disorder type 1

  • Dr Elisa Brietzke, Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil, Brazil
  • Camila Moreira, University of São Paulo, Brazil
  • Dr Ricardo Toniolo, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil
  • Prof Dr Beny Lafer, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Brazil

Objective: report the presence of current and lifetime eating disorders (ED) in a well-defined sample of 137 female patients with bipolar disorder (BD) type I.
Methods: patients were interviewed by trained psychiatrists with the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Axis I Disorders. Clinical and demographic characteristics of both groups (group with ED vs. group without ED) were compared.
Results: female patients with ED had an earlier onset of BD and an increased number of mood episodes, especially of depressive polarity. Women in the ED group also showed a high degree of comorbidity with substance use disorders and anxiety disorders and more frequently reported a history of suicide attempt when compared with women without ED.
Conclusion: Presence of ED is a correlate of severity of BD type 1 and development of interventions that may minimize distress, suicide risk and improve treatment outcome is necessary.