Pain in women with and without bipolar spectrum disorder

Abstract

Introduction: Bipolar disorder is associated with several physical conditions and possibly increased pain, although research outside hospital settings is limited. We compared perceived pain among population-based women with and without bipolar disorder. Method: This study examined 113 women with bipolar disorder (59 euthymic, 54 symptomatic in past month) and 316 age-matched women without bipolar disorder drawn from studies located in the same region of south-eastern Australia. Mental disorders were confirmed by clinical interview (SCID-I/NP). Pain during the past week was determined by numeric rating scale (0–10, 10 = pain as severe as I can imagine) and deemed present if ≥5. Demographic, l..