Citation

Faucher B, Hodgins S, Gregoire D, Palmour R. Am. J. Med. Genet. B Neuropsychiatr. Genet. 2000; 96(4): e473.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

We are comparing the development of children of parents with bipolar disorder (BPD) and those of parents with no mental disorders (NMD). The present study examined mental disorders among first degree relatives of the parents. The probands included 50 parents with BPD, their 29 NMD partners, and 70 NMD parents. Each proband identified two informants for their families. Only 18% of the BPD probands had no relative with a major affective disorder (MAD), while 50% had two or more, as compared to 61% and 13% of the NMD probands. Rates of psychoses were elevated among the relatives of BPD as compared to NMD probands (22% vs 7%), while rates of alcohol and drug use disorders (52% vs 46%; 30% vs 7%) and suicide and suicide attempts (2% vs 1%; 18% vs 11%) were similar. Externalizing problems of the offspring of the probands were related to the number of relatives with MAD and to the number with a history of substance abuse. To conclude, the families of the BPD probands are distinguished only by elevated rates of MAD and psychoses. Externalizing problems among the offspring are related to family history of affective disorders and alcohol and drug use disorders.

Language: en