Correlates of psychiatric hospitalization in a clinical sample of Canadian adolescents with bipolar disorder

Objective: To identify factors associated with psychiatric hospitalization among adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD).

Methods: Participants were 100 adolescents, ages 13-19, who fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for bipolar I disorder [(BD-I), n=26], bipolar II disorder [(BD-II), n=40], or operationalized criteria for BD not otherwise specified [(BD-NOS), n=34], via the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Present and Lifetime version (KSADS-PL). Demographic, clinical, and family history variables were measured via clinical interview with the participant and a parent or guardian.

Results: The lifetime prevalence of psychiatric hospitalization was 50%. Significant predictors of psychiatric hospitalization in univariate analyses included older age, BD-I, history of suicide attempt, psychosis, lifetime use of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs), lithium, SSRI antidepressants and any medication. BD-II was negatively associated with psychiatric hospitalization. In multivariable analyses, older age, history of suicide attempt, psychosis and use of SGAs were positively associated with hospitalization, whereas BD-II was negatively associated with hospitalization.

Conclusions: Psychiatric hospitalization in adolescents with BD is highly prevalent and associated with older age and proxies for greater illness severity. Further studies are needed to identify strategies for reducing the need for psychiatric hospitalizations among adolescents with BD.