Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents with Bipolar I Disorder

OBJECTIVE: To examine abnormalities in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to determine whether pharmacological intervention with divalproex or quetiapine alters HRQOL abnormalities in bipolar adolescents. METHOD: Parents of 23 adolescents diagnosed with a manic or mixed episode associated with bipolar I disorder were asked to rate their child's health using the Child Health Questionnaire-Parental Form 50 (CHQ-PF 50) at baseline, prior to receiving medication and then at 28 days later. RESULTS: Manic adolescents exhibited significantly worse HRQOL than national norms at baseline on all subscales of the CHQ-P50 except for those assessing physical well-being. Twenty eight days later, similar results were obtained for the divalproex group. Significant improvements in HRQOL, particularly on the psychosocial subscales, occurred for both groups. CONCLUSIONS: HRQOL for bipolar youth improves following pharmacological treatments. However, distinct effects of specific treatments may exist, and impairment in several domains persists.