Insight, quality of life and cognitive functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 110; no. 1; pp. 75 - 83
• Main Authors: Dias, Vasco Videira, Brissos, Sofia, Frey, Benicio N, Kapczinski, Flávio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Awareness; Biological and medical sciences; Bipolar affective disorder; Bipolar disorder; Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis; Bipolar Disorder - psychology; Bipolar disorders; Cognition; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Control Groups; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Executive function; Executive functions; Female; Frontal; Health Status; Humans; Insight; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychiatric disorders; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Regression Analysis; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Awareness; Frontal; Bipolar disorder; Executive functions; Insight; Cognition; Quality of life; Mood disorder; Human; Executive function; Symptomatology; Predictive factor; Euthymia
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2008.01.010

Abstract Introduction The relationship between insight, quality of life and cognition in bipolar disorder has not been clearly established. Method A neuropsychological battery assessing attention, mental control, perceptual-motor skills, executive functions, verbal fluency, abstraction and visuo-spatial attention was administered to 70 remitted bipolar patients and 50 healthy controls. Insight was assessed using the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder; Quality of Life was assessed using the Portuguese version of the WHO Quality of Life Assessment – Abbreviated version (WHOQOL–BREF–PT). Results No differences in QoL and cognitive performance were observed between bipolar patients with ‘impaired’ and ‘preserved’ insight. Insight was found to be correlated with poorer psychological and environmental QoL. A multiple regression model showed that depressive symptoms were significant predictors of physical, psychological and environmental QoL. Conclusion The present study adds to the notion that depressive symptoms, even of low intensity, are strong predictors of QoL. The present study suggests that the impact of insight on self-reported QoL may be subtle during remission and may be more substantially affected in the presence of manic symptoms.