Perinatal Mood Episodes in Men With Bipolar Disorder

TOPLINE:

In the first study of perinatal mood episodes (PMEs) among fathers with bipolar disorder, 36.2% reported experiencing episodes, with the onset being most common during their partner’s pregnancy. This pattern contrasted with mothers who showed higher overall rates of PMEs (73%) and a peak onset within a week after delivery.

METHODOLOGY:

• This study included 196 men and 597 women aged 18 years or older, who were biological fathers and mothers, respectively.
• Participants had bipolar disorder diagnosed on the basis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth or Fifth Edition, with a mood symptom onset before the age of 65 years.
• They completed questionnaires about the occurrence of mood episodes during their partner’s pregnancy or within 6 months postpartum.

TAKEAWAY:

• Among fathers with bipolar disorder, 36.2% reported experiencing PMEs, with similar rates of depression and high/mixed mood/psychosis (17% and 18.6%, respectively).
• Among mothers with bipolar disorder, 73% reported experiencing PMEs, with high/mixed mood/psychosis occurring more frequently than depression (44.5% vs 28.1%).
• PME onset patterns differed between fathers and mothers, with fathers most commonly experiencing episodes during their partner’s pregnancy vs mothers experiencing a peak onset within 1-week postpartum (41.9% vs 41.3%).

IN PRACTICE:

“Fathers do not undergo the same biological changes as mothers during the perinatal period which may partly explain the different patterns observed in the type and timings of PMEs between fathers and mothers with BD [bipolar disorder],” the authors wrote. These insights “may be useful for early identification and future prevention of paternal BD episodes, and may inform perinatal healthcare provision for fathers with BD,” they added.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Ruth Brooks, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, and Jemima Marsden, Three Counties Medical School, University of Worcester, Worcester, both in England. It was published online on July 9 in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

LIMITATIONS:

Rates of paternal PMEs were likely higher due to the retrospective nature of the study and the reliance on self-reporting. Other limitations were a potential selection bias and the study’s focus on participants of European ancestry, limiting the generalisability of the findings to other populations.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust and the Stanley Medical Research Institute. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.