Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a recurrent psychiatric illness characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression. Even during remission, individuals with BD frequently experience compromised quality of life (QOL). Aims and Objective: To evaluate the QOL and its clinical, demographic, and treatment-related correlates among patients with BD in clinical remission. Methods: A cross-sectional assessment was conducted involving 200 patients with BD in remission, recruited from a tertiary care center in North India. Participants were evaluated using the World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF, Brief Adherence Rating Scale (BARS), UKU Side Effect Rating Scale, and Life Chart Methodology-Self-Rated (LCM-S/R). Clinical interviews and chart reviews were used to extract relevant correlates of QOL. Results: Despite meeting criteria for clinical remission, participants exhibited notable impairments in QOL, particularly in psychological and social domains. Positive predictors of better QOL included higher educational attainment, longer remission duration, and higher income. Conversely, increased episode burden, history of suicide attempts, seasonal affective patterns, and side effects – especially psychic and autonomic – were associated with reduced QOL. A large proportion (90%) of participants reported prior nonadherence to medication, which was significantly linked to lower QOL. Conclusions: Quality of life remains substantially impaired in remitted BD patients. Residual symptoms, perceived cognitive dysfunction, and treatment-related side effects are significant determinants of well-being. Routine assessment of QOL and the development of multidimensional, patient-centered interventions are crucial for improving functional outcomes in this population.
Chakravarty et al. (Thu,) studied this question.