Objectives: In studies conducted to verify the gender differences on the phenomenology and the course of bipolar disorder, women have been reported to be more prone than men to depression and chronicity but the results are inconsistent. This inconsistency may be partly related with retrospective methodology and no distinction among bipolar subtypes. The aim of this study is to examine the influence of gender and its interaction with other factors on the course of bipolar I disorder.
Methods: Of the consecutive outpatients who visited at the mood disorders clinic in a University Hospital from November 2004 to November 2007, 123 patients who were diagnosed as bipolar I disorder by structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID), were enrolled. Demographic and clinical variables were collected during conducting SCID. The courses after enrollment were gathered by using prospective version of Patient Mood Chart.
Results: There was no significant gender difference in 1 year prospective outcome. However women experienced mild to moderate depressive symptoms significantly longer when the polarity at onset was depression. Women with irritable temperament and psychotic symptoms have longer duration with manic symptoms. On the other hand, men with hyperthymic temperament were correlated with longer duration of manic symptoms.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that gender interact with other clinical variables to influence the course of the patients with bipolar disorders. More tailored observation for longer prospective duration can provide better insights into the influence of gender to the course and outcome of bipolar disorders.