Comparison of personality factors, adherence to medication and quality of life in bipolar disorder-I patients with or without substance use disorder

Some specific personality factors in patients of bipolar disorder are potential risk factors for developing comorbid substance use disorder. Comorbid substance use disorder is one of the most common factors associated with non-adherence to treatment in bipolar disorder patients leading to poor quality of life. We compared all three variables in bipolar disorder-1patients with or without substance use disorder. It is a cross-sectional study done on 90 patients of Bipolar disorder-1 diagnosed as per DSM-5, 45 without and 45 with comorbid substance use disorder. Personality factors, non-adherence to medication and quality of life were assessed and compared between both the groups using standardized tools and appropriate statistical analysis methods. There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of distribution of socio-economic status (Bias Corrected Cramer'sV = 0.31 moderate association), gender (Bias Corrected Cramer'sV = 0.37 moderate association), distribution of 16 personality factor B (Cramer's V = 0.28) and factor G (χ2 = 6.222, p = 0.045) (Cramer's V = 0.26). Small sample size and a cross-sectional study design. SUD and NSUD group differed on 16 PF factor B and G which are factors for reasoning and Rule-Consciousness respectively although on regression analysis this difference was not significant for factor G. In binary logistic regression multivariable model, an average score (as compared to low score) of personality factor B was found to significantly increase the ODDS of substance use. SUD group had more severity and greater number of episodes, had lower level of education, belonged to low socio-economic status.