A pilot study of standardized treatment in geriatric bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE

The authors sought to determine the feasibility of treating elderly adults with bipolar disorder under standardized-treatment conditions.

METHODS

Thirty-one patients age 60 and older with bipolar disorder were treated in standardized pathways. Mood state was checked at each study visit with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 item (Ham-D-17) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS).

RESULTS

Defining "well days" as both Ham-D and YMRS scores of <or=10, the mean percentage of well days was 72.5 (range: 0%-100%) over study participation.

CONCLUSIONS

Treating older adults with bipolar disorder under standardized treatment is feasible and is associated with low symptom levels. However, most older adults with bipolar disorder do not experience sustained recovery.