Bipolar mood disorders: an affected sibling study. II. Symptom correlations.

Part II of the affected sibling study raises questions of symptom correlation (incidence of delusions, states of confusion, suicide tendencies and attempts, hallucinatory episodes, hypochondriac attitudes, angry manias, and depressive stupor) in mood disorders. The investigated sample (307 sibling groups, 701 hospitalized patients; selection principle: at least 1 sibling showing a bipolar or manic axial syndrome) directs our attention to the possibility that the multiplicity of specific manic and depressive syndromes derives not only from the genetic complexity of the mood-producing system but mirrors the full range of human behavior. Moods must be conceptualized as interpretative metalanguages with respect to the entire wealth of behavioral object languages.