Substance Use Among Older Adults with Bipolar Disorder Varies According to Age at First Treatment Contact

The use of substances, such as alcohol, is common among people living with bipolar disorder (BD). Data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study showed that 43.6% and 33.6% of adults with BD had experience a comorbid alcohol or drug use disorder respectively during their lifetime, a prevalence estimate that is 5 to 8 times greater than for people without a mental disorder (Regier  et al., 1990). Subsequent studies have confirmed the association between the use of substances and BD,(Hunt et al., 2016) which is concerning because this association increases health morbidity and mortality (Whiteford et al., 2013), including death by suicide (Cardoso et al., 2008; Dalton e t al., 2003).
Source: Journal of Affective Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Review article Source Type: research