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Prevalence of psychopathology in bipolar high-risk offspring and siblings: a meta-analysis

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Abstract

This meta-analysis aimed to update existing data on the comparison of prevalence rates of psychopathology primarily among offspring with at least one parent with bipolar disorder (BD) and offspring of parents without psychiatric illness. Seventeen studies were derived from a systematic search of PsychInfo, Medline, Scopus and Embase. Inclusion criteria were use of a control offspring group, standardized diagnostic procedures and reporting of clear frequency data. Risk of psychopathology was estimated by aggregating frequency data from selected studies. Compared to control offspring, high-risk BD offspring are nine times more likely to have a bipolar-type disorder, almost two and a half times more likely to develop a non-BD affective disorder and over two times more likely to develop at least one anxiety disorder. High-risk offspring also showed a significant increased risk of other non-mood psychopathology such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), any type of behavioral disorder and substance use disorder (SUDs). Risk of developing a broad range of affective and non-affective psychopathology is significantly higher in high-risk BD offspring. Identifying clinical presentations of this genetically high-risk cohort is important in establishing appropriate preventative treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Phoebe Lau, David J. Hawes & Caroline Hunt

  2. School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Black Dog Institute, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Andrew Frankland, Gloria Roberts & Philip B. Mitchell

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  1. Phoebe Lau
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  2. David J. Hawes
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  3. Caroline Hunt
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  4. Andrew Frankland
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  5. Gloria Roberts
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  6. Philip B. Mitchell
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Correspondence to David J. Hawes.

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Lau, P., Hawes, D.J., Hunt, C. et al. Prevalence of psychopathology in bipolar high-risk offspring and siblings: a meta-analysis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 27, 823–837 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1050-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-1050-7

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