Table 2 Examples of big data studies of socioeconomic factors in bipolar disorder
Country | Description | Primary finding | Data source | Number of subjects analyzed (N) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Denmark | Association of BP and schizophrenia (SCZ) with parent–child separation | Associations found but differed by type, developmental timing and family characteristics | Danish register between 1971 and 1991, followed to 2011 | 2821 with BP and 6469 with SCZ | Paksarian et al. 2015 |
Denmark | Association between mortality and lifetime substance use disorder in patients with BP, SCZ or unipolar depression | Mortality in people with mental illness far higher for those with substance use disorders; especially involving alcohol or hard drugs | Those born in Denmark in 1995 or later | 41,470 with SCZ, 11,739 with BP, and 88,270 with unipolar depression | Hjorthoj et al. 2015 |
Israel | Percentage of patients with BP and SCZ and other psychosis, who earn at least minimum wage | For BP: with 1 hospital admission, only 24.2Â % earned at least minimum wage; with multiple admissions, 19.9Â %. Poor employment outcome in all cases | Israeli psychiatric hospitalization registry | 35,673 total | Davidson et al. 2015 |
Sweden | Compare risks for suicidality and criminality in patients with BP and general population | 22.2Â % of BP engaged in suicidal or criminal acts after diagnosis. Combined risk of suicidality and criminality is elevated | Swedish national registries between 1973 and 2009 | 15,337 with BP, compared with 14,677 unaffected siblings | Webb et al. 2014 |
Sweden | Association of high intelligence and BP | High intelligence may be a risk factor for BP, but only in those without psychiatric comorbidity | Diagnosis of BP from Hospital Discharge Register from 1968 and 2004. IQ measure at military conscription | 1,049,607 males. 3174 hospitalized with BP | Gale et al. 2013 |
Sweden | Association of leadership traits with BP | Traits associated with BP may be linked to superior leadership qualities | Swedish population registries from 1973 and 2009 | 68,915 with BP, and healthy siblings | Kyaga et al. 2015 |
Sweden | Investigate disease burden in bipolar disorder | Compared to general population, patients had same education, more unemployment, less disposable income, and twice the mortality | Swedish population registries of all diagnosed with BP 1991–2010; cohort in 2006 versus 2009 | 4629 in 2006; 5644 in 2009 | Carlborg et al. 2015 |
US | Association of BP and SCZ with criminal justice involvement | Males and females with BP disorder have higher risk for offending than those with SCZ; highest risk is BP plus substance use disorder | Connecticut mental health administrative records plus criminal justice records | 25,133 adults, 5479 with BP and substance abuse; 7327 with BP alone | Robertson et al. 2014 |
US | Employment and functional limitations in BP and unipolar depressive disorders | Patients with BP significantly more unemployment and functional limitations than those with depressive disorders or controls | Nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel survey 2004–2006 | 592 with BP, 5646 with depressive disorders, 53,905 controls | Shippee et al. 2011 |
UK | Childhood IQ and risk of BP | Higher childhood IQ may be a marker for risk of later BP | Avon birth cohort. IQ at age 8; lifetime manic features at age 22–23 | 1881 individuals | Smith et al. 2015 |