Individuals with bipolar disorder should avoid alcohol or strictly limit their intake, as new research indicates that drinking can exacerbate symptoms and impair work performance.
Researchers from the University of Michigan examined the long-term impact of alcohol consumption on mood and functioning in adults with bipolar disorder, a condition characterised by extreme mood swings, energy shifts, and sometimes hallucinations and delusions.
The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, included 584 adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder who were part of the ongoing Prechter Longitudinal Study of Bipolar Disorder (PLS-BD) for at least five years. Data was collected over a 5-16 year follow-up period. Participants’ alcohol use was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a WHO-approved screening tool, alongside standardised questionnaires measuring depression, mania or hypomania, anxiety, and overall functioning.
Findings revealed that increased alcohol consumption correlated with heightened depressive and manic or hypomanic symptoms and decreased work performance. The study noted, "A person reporting alcohol use above their own mean amount tended to experience more depressive symptoms at the next time point, but increased depressive symptoms were not associated with greater subsequent alcohol use."
The impact of high alcohol consumption was more pronounced in patients not taking antipsychotic and antidepressant medications compared to those on these medications. The researchers emphasised the importance of monitoring alcohol consumption in patients with bipolar disorder as part of their treatment plan.
