Mood instability in patients with newly diagnosed bipolar disorder, unaffected relatives, and healthy control individuals measured daily using smartphones.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether mood instability (MI) qualify as a trait marker for bipolar disorder (BD) we investigated: 1) differences in smartphone-based self-reported MI between three groups: patients with newly diagnosed BD, unaffected first-degree relatives (UR), and healthy control individuals (HC); 2) the correlation between MI and functioning, stress, and duration of illness, respectively; and 3) the validity of smartphone-based self-evaluated mood ratings as compared to observer-based ratings of depressed and manic mood.

METHODS

203 patients with newly diagnosed BD, 54 UR and 109 HC were included as part of the longitudinal Bipolar Illness Onset study. Participants completed daily smartphone-based mood ratings for a period of up to two years and were clinically assessed with ratings of depression, mania and functioning.

RESULTS

Mood instability scores were statistically significantly higher in patients with BD compared with HC (mean=1.18, 95%CI: 1.12;1.24 vs 1.05, 95%CI: 0.98;1.13, p = 0.007) and did not differ between patients with BD and UR (mean=1.17, 95%CI: 1.07;1.28, p = 0.91). For patients, increased MI scores correlated positively with impaired functioning (p<0.001), increased stress level (p<0.001) and increasing number of prior mood episodes (p<0.001). Smartphone-based mood ratings correlated with ratings of mood according to sub-item 1 on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17-items and the Young Mania Rating Scale, respectively (p´s<0.001).

LIMITATION: The study had a smaller number of UR than planned.

CONCLUSION

Mood instability is increased in patients with newly diagnosed BD and unaffected relatives and associated with decreased functioning. The findings highlight MI as a potential trait marker for BD.