Evaluation of adult separation anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and temperature features in bipolar disorder patients with and without suicide attempt history

OBJECTIVE: It has been reported that co-diagnosis of anxiety disorder in BD is associated with suicide risk and increases the risk of suicide attempt. Anxiety symptoms and syndromes are often overlooked in BD patients, especially in mild cases. For this reason, some researchers have tried to identify clinical and psychological variables that may indicate the association of BD and anxiety, as well as diagnostic interviews. Our aim in this study is to compare anxiety sensitivity, adult separation anxiety and temperament features in BD cases with and without suicide attempt history, and to examine the relationship between these features. METHOD: The study included 98 patients who were diagnosed with bipolar disorder in Aydın Adnan Menderes University Hospital Psychiatry Department outpatient clinic or inpatient service, met the inclusion criteria to study. The patients were divided into two groups as those who have attempted suicide at least once in their lives and those who have not. Sociodemographic data of all participants were taken in detail and SCID-I, YMDÖ, Beck Suicidal Intent Scale were applied by the clinician. In addition STAI-1 and 2, Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ADI-3), Beck Depression Inventory and TEMPS-A administered to the participants to be filled in by themselves. RESULTS: In our study, when BD cases with and without suicide attempt history were compared; Adult separation anxiety questionnaire score, anxiety sensitivity cognitive, social subfactors and total scores, depressive, anxious, irritable and cyclothymic temperament scores were found to be significantly higher in the group with suicide attempt history. In the logistic regression analysis performed among the variables that were meaningfully relationship with the suicide attempt history, it was found that adult separation anxiety and anxious temperament were associated with a history of suicide attempt. CONCLUSION: Our study, in which we investigated anxiety sensitivity, adult separation anxiety and temperament features in BD cases with and without suicide attempt history, has not been conducted before, according to our knowledge. According to the results of the study, it was shown that adult separation anxiety and anxious temperament features were associated with suicide attempt history, while anxiety sensitivity was more significantly associated with suicidal ideation in patients with BD. In addition, in BD cases, each of the physical, cognitive and social subfactors of ADI was found to be positively correlated with suicidal ideation. KEYWORDS: Bipolar Disorder, adult seperation anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, temperament