Table 2 Lifetime clinical characteristics of non-pregnant and pregnant women with BD recruited from two study cohorts from The Netherlands

Diagnosis, n (%)

 Bipolar I

38 (76.0)

19 (59.4)

 Bipolar II

12 (24.0)

13 (40.6)

χ² = 2.541 p = 0.11

Illness duration^a

 Mean duration in years (SD)

15.4 (7.29)

14.6 (6.18)

T = -5.02 p = 0.62

 Less than 5 years

3 (5.8)

3 (9.1)

 5–9 years

9(17.3)

3 (9.1)

 10–19 years

21 (40.4)

17 (51.5)

 20–29 years

19 (36.5)

10 (30.3)

χ² = 2.071 p = 0.56

 Age of onset^a (mean, SD)

19.9 (5.93)

19.5 (5.23)

U = 828.5 p = 0.790

No. of depressive episodes, n (%)

 0 episodes

0 (0)

3 (9.1)

 1 episode

6 (11.5)

1 (3.0)

 2–4 episodes

16 (30.8)

16 (48.5)

 5–10 episodes

13 (25.0)

7 (21.2)

 11–20 episodes

5 (9.6)

4 (12.1)

 > 20 episodes

12 (23.1)

2 (6.1)

χ² = 11.977 p = 0.04

No. of manic episodes, n (%)

 0

0

1 (3.0)

 1 episode

4 (7.7)

6 (18.2)

 2–4 episodes

20 (38.5)

19 (57.6)

 5–10 episodes

16 (30.8)

4 (12.1)

 11–20 episodes

7 (13.5)

1 (3.0)

 > 20 episodes

5 (9.6)

2 (6.1)

χ² = 10.699 p = 0.06

 Hospitalizations^a, mean (SD)

4.1 (5.8)

1.4 (1.7)

Medication, n (%)

 Without medication

0 (0.0)

8(23.5)

 1 Mood stabilizer

23 (44.2)

8 (23.5)

 > 1 Mood stablizers

20 (38.5)

0 (0.0)

 Moodstabilizer and other medication

9 (17.3)

8 (23.5)

 Other medication only

0 (0.0)

10 (29.4)

χ² = 43.453 p < 0.01

Substance abuse/dependence, n (%)

 Alcohol

9 (17.3)

3 (9.1)

χ² = 1.124 p = 0.29

 Drugs

7 (13.5)

7 (21.5)

χ² = 0.881 p = 0.35

Serious suicide attempts

 None

36 (69.2)

28 (84.8)

 One or more

16(30.8)

5 (15.2)

χ² = 2.547 p = 0.10