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Risky sexual behavior likely among offspring of parents with bipolar disorder

Children of parents with bipolar disorder are more likely to have psychosocial problems, according to recent study findings published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Mark A. Ellenbogen, PhD, of the Centre for Research in Human Development at Concordia University, Montreal, and colleagues evaluated 74 offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (OBD) and 75 offspring of parents without mental disorders (controls) aged 14 to 27 years to determine the effect of parents’ mental health on offspring suicidal behavior, self-harm, smoking, delinquent or criminal behavior, and risky sexual behavior.

Mark A. Ellenbogen

Lifetime affective disorders were diagnosed in 31.1% of OBD and 9.5% of controls while a lifetime non-affective disorder was diagnosed in 56.8% of OBD and 32.4% of controls.

At least one mental disorder was diagnosed in 64.9% of OBD vs. 40.5% of controls.

Compared with OBD with no affective disorders and controls, suicidal behaviors were more likely among those with affective disorders.

OBDs were more likely to engage in regular smoking compared with controls, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Fifty-eight percent of OBDs with no affective disorders and 57.6% of offspring with affective disorders took part in high-risk sexual behaviors vs. 35.4% of controls without an affective disorder. Overall, more abortions were reported by OBD compared with controls (P=.86) as well as more unprotected sex (P<.05) and early initiation (P=.11). However, affected offspring were more likely to report unprotected sex compared with unaffected OBD and controls (P<.05).

“Risky sexual behavior falls along the spectrum of general externalizing behaviors, like delinquency and aggression,” Ellenbogen said in a press release. “We know it is predicted by externalizing behaviors in middle childhood.”

Overall, suicidal behavior was more likely in any offspring with an affective disorder (P<.001) and offspring of parents with bipolar disorder reported increased risky sexual behavior (P<.05).

“In psychiatry, we tend to treat the patient — there’s never any evaluation of their family or kids or partners,” Ellenbogen said. “Across my career, I’ve been saying that’s the wrong way of looking at the issues. The children of [bipolar disorder] patients are at high risk of developing a number of psychiatric and psychosocial problems. We need to think about interventions that will work for all members of the family.”

Mark A. Ellenbogen, PhD,  can be reached at Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, PQ H4B 1R6; email: mark.ellenbogen@concordia.ca.

Disclosure: The study was funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Two researchers report financial ties with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.