Bipolar disorder in adolescents: Investigating the predicitive role of family functionng and parent-child interaction

Introduction: The context of environment significantly influences the clinical course and symptoms of bipolar disorder in adolescents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to predict bipolar disorder symptoms in adolescents based on the family functioning and parent - child interaction. Materials and Method: The research design was a descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population of this study was ۹۰ inpatient male and female adolescents aged between ۱۲ to ۱۸ diagnosed with bipolar disorder type ۱ and ۲ in Roozbeh Psychiatry Hospital. These adolescents were selected using purposive sampling. For examining the variables, all participants completed a battery of questionnaires and data were gathered from both parents and adolescents. In this study the data were analyzed by simultaneous multiple regression method. Results: Findings indicate that low family functioning can predict depression and mania symptoms and aggressive behavior. It means that when the family adaptability and cohesion is low and the conflict is high, the depression and mania symptoms and aggressive behavior increase. Also, weak mother-child interaction leads to higher mania symptoms and aggressive behavior. Whereas due to the research data, father-child interaction cannot predict the symptoms. Conclusion: The results of this study show the importance of paying attention to family context in assessment and treatment of bipolar adolescents. We suggest that by knowing risk factors and perpetuating family factors, mental health specialists in psychiatry hospitals besides pharmacotherapy can hold family psychoeducation sessions by paying attention to family functioning and parent-child interaction effective dimensions.

Keywords:

family functioning , bipolar , interaction , adaptability , cohesion , conflict