Medwire (3/14, Piper) reports, “Criminal justice problems are relatively common among patients with bipolar disorder [BD], but researchers have identified an array of risk factors that they believe will provide guidance when evaluating patients and identifying preventive strategies,” according to research published online March 7 in the Journal of Affective Disorders. “The factors were identified based on 34,508 wave 2 respondents of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) with valid responses to the mania section.” Notably, “a range of historical, clinical, and contextual factors were found to increase the risk for criminal involvement, but two multivariate analyses indicated the risk was particularly high for patients who were unemployed (odds ratio [OR]=3.89-4.27), of non-White race (OR=3.68-3.93), who had previously been detained as juveniles (OR=4.25-5.17), had a prior arrest while manic or using drugs (OR=3.28-3.62), used illicit drugs in the past year (OR=3.31-3.98), or showed both social and occupational impairment (OR=4.75-4.80).”
Related Links:
— “Integrated approach needed for reducing crime in bipolar disorder patients, “Lucy Piper, Medwire News, March 14, 2013.