Psychological and behavioral response on the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with bipolar disorder: A multicenter study

The COVID-19 pandemic affects both mentally healthy and ill individuals. Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) constitute an especially vulnerable group. A multicentric online study was conducted in Austria, Denmark, and Germany after the first lockdown phase in 2020. In total, 117 healthy controls (HC) were matched according to age and sex to 117 individuals with BD. The survey included the Brief Symptom Inventory-18, Beck Depression Inventory-2, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a self-constructed questionnaire assessing COVID-19 fears, emotional distress due to social distancing, lifestyle, and compliance to governmental measures. In individuals with BD, increased symptoms of depression, somatization, anxiety, distress due to social distancing, and poorer sleep quality were related to emotional distress due to social distancing. The correlation between emotional distress due to social distancing and anxiety showed 26% of shared variance in BD and 11% in HC. Negative lifestyle changes and lower compliance with COVID-19 regulatory measures were more likely to be observed in individuals with BD than in HC. These findings underscore the need for ongoing mental health support during the pandemic. Individuals with BD should be continuously supported during periods of social distancing to maintain a stable lifestyle and employ strategies to cope with COVID-19 fears.

Metabolic Syndrome Impairs Executive Function in Bipolar Disorder

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is more prevalent in individuals with bipolar disorder and has a negative impact on cognition, in particular on executive function, which is already impaired in individuals with bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we compared 148 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 117 healthy controls in cognitive function depending on the diagnosis of MetS. A neuropsychological test battery was used including the Trail Making Test A/B, Stroop Color and Word Interference Test, the d2 Test of Attention Revised, and the California Verbal Learning Test. In addition, MetS variables as well as the defining variables waist circumference, serum triglyceride levels, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, blood pressure, fasting glucose levels, and body mass index were compared between patients and controls. In addition, illness-related variables were associated with MetS in individuals with bipolar disorder.

Results: The prevalence of MetS in patients with bipolar disorder was higher than in controls (30.4 vs. 15.4%). Patients with bipolar disorder with MetS had impaired executive function compared to patients without MetS or healthy controls with and without MetS (p = 0.020). No MetS effects or interaction MetS × Group was found in attention/processing speed (p = 0.883) and verbal learning/memory (p = 0.373). Clinical variables (illness duration, suicidality, number of affective episodes, medication, age of onset, and history of psychosis) did not relate to MetS in bipolar disorder (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Bipolar disorder comorbid with MetS bears additional risk for impaired executive function. Executive function includes action planning, inhibition, and impulse control and could play a critical role in keeping long-term goals in mind associated with gaining and maintaining a healthy weight.