Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of the bipolar sample according to predominant polarity

Sex

5.49

.019

 Female

116 (68.6)

23 (50)

 Male

53 (31.4)

23 (50)

Subtype

31.45

<.000*

 Bipolar I

80 (47.3)

43 (93.5)

 Bipolar II

89 (52.7)

3 (6.5)

Family history of psychiatric disorders

138 (81.7)

35 (76.1)

0.71

.398

Family history of suicide

59 (34.9)

12 (26.1)

1.27

.259

Rapid cycling

19 (11.2)

3 (6.5)

0.88

.349

Psychotic symptoms

22 (13.0)

13 (28.3)

6.16

.013

First Episode Mania

11 (6.5)

30 (65.2)

80.75

<.000*

Mania with irritable mood

52 (30.8)

34 (73.9)

28.04

<.000*

Mixed Episodes

55 (34.6)

16 (39.0)

0.28

.597

Suicide attempts (life time)

68 (40.2)

15 (32.6)

0.89

.346

Substance abuse (life time)

18 (10.7)

10 (21.7)

3.93

.481

Treatment

Lithium

74 (43.8)

30 (65.2)

6.65

.010

Other Mood Stabilizers¹

63 (37.3)

26 (56.5)

5.52

.019

Antipsychotics (incl. quetiapine)

117 (69.2)

43 (93.5)

11.17

.001*

Antidepressants

121 (71.6)

14 (30.4)

26.22

<.000*

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

t

p _adj. ²

Age

50.3 (14.8)

52.1 (12.2)

-.765

.451

Age of Onset

29.8 (11.8)

28.5 (10.4)

.667

.505

Age of first depression

29.7 (12.1)

31.6 (12.1)

-0.85

.396

Age of first mania

37.1 (14.5)

28.8 (11.0)

3.43

.001*

Duration of illness

20.5 (12.5)

23.6 (12.6)

-1.45

.148

Total number of episodes

11.1 (10.2)

10.7 (6.3)

0.282

.778

Number of manic episodes

2.3 (2.5)

8.3 (5.5)

-10.56

<.000*

Number of depressive episodes

8.6 (8.0)

2.4 (2.0)

5.26

<.000*

Number of mixed episodes

1.0 (2.8)

0.71 (1.2)

.736

.463