Family-of-origin characteristics in bipolar disorder: a controlled study

Objective: To assess the family-of-origin characteristics of patients with bipolar disorder relative to those of control subjects. Method: Fifty-six euthymic patients meeting research diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder and 21 control subjects completed the Family Environment Scale (FES) for the family they grew up with. Results: The 2 groups showed strikingly similar profiles on 10 indices of family functioning or structure. Conclusions: The results do not support the hypothesis that specific family attributes contribute to the development of bipolar disorder.