Coping with Bipolar Disorder.

How individuals with bipolar disorder cope with stressful life events has an impact on the course of their illness. Ineffective coping strategies can lead to higher relapse rates and worse functional outcome. Our aim was to investigate the coping strategies of inpatients with bipolar disorder, to examine if these strategies are stable over time, and to investigate if coping is associated with mood status. In the current study, 96 inpatients with bipolar I or II disorder completed the Utrecht Coping List at admission (T1) and after three months (T2) of hospitalization. The outcomes were compared with normative data. The results show that inpatients with bipolar disorder have a more avoidant and passive coping style compared to the healthy population. Also, depressed patients used more passive coping in comparison to manic and euthymic patients. No differences in coping styles were found between T1 and T2. These findings create potential intervention targets for use in bipolar disorder. However, this study implicates that without a specific intervention, coping is a trait in bipolar disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]