Bipolar Disorder Course and Outcome Study from India (BiD-CoIN study): Sample Description & Methods.

Objectives: This multicentric study from India aimed to evaluate the long term course and outcome of bipolar disorder (BD).

Method: Seven hundred and seventy-three participants diagnosed with BD, attending 14 outpatient clinic centers across the country, were evaluated using the National Institute of Mental Health- Retrospective Life Charts to assess the long term course of BD.

Results: The mean age of onset of the first episode of illness of the study sample was 26.3 (8.54) years, and mean duration of illness at the time of assessment was 233.05 (94.55) months. In terms of the total number of lifetime episodes, the mean number of manic episodes (mean: 3.68; SD: 4.75) exceeded the mean number of depressive episodes (mean: 3.36; SD: 5.51). The mean numbers of total lifetime episodes were 8.58 (10.6%). When the number of episodes per year was computed, the mean number of manic episodes per year exceeded that of the mean number of depressive episodes. Compared to females, a higher proportion of males had a history of comorbid substance dependence.

Limitations: The course was assessed retrospectively and the study was limited to participants attending the outpatient clinics.

Conclusions: The course of BD in India differs from that described from developed countries in the form of a number of manic episodes exceeding the depressive episodes.