The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 194: 559-560. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.054452
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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SHORT REPORT

Age at onset of first episode and time to treatment in in-patients with bipolar disorder

Gunnar Morken, MD, PhD, Arne E. Vaaler, MD, PhD and Gunn E. Folden, MSc

Østmarka Psychiatric Department, St Olavs Hospital and Institute of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Technology and Science, Trondheim

Ole A. Andreassen, MD, PhD

Department of Psychiatry, Ulleval University Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry, University of Oslo

Ulrik F. Malt, MD, PhD

Department of Neuropsychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Rikshospitalet University Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry, University of Oslo, Norway.

Correspondence: Gunnar Morken, Østmarka Psychiatric Department, St Olavs Hospital, Box 3008 Lade, 7441 Trondheim, Norway. Email: gunnar.morken{at}ntnu.no

Declaration of interest

None.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between age at onset and time to first pharmacological treatment in patients with either bipolar I or II disorder. A total of 146 consecutive in-patients acutely admitted from the same catchment area were included. Patients were divided into four age groups: 0–12 years (23%); 13–18 years (32%); 19–29 years (26%); and >=30 years (18%). Mean age at first affective episode was 20.2 years (s.d.=11.8). This represents a similar pattern to the age at onset seen in out-patients in the USA. Early age at onset predicted a longer time to first pharmacological treatment ({rho} =–0.695, P<0.01).