Diagnosis of mental disorders in caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder: a gap in the scientific literature

Abstract Objective: Caregivers appear to experience mental health implications related to their role in supporting patients with bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to review the literature assessing the presence of not only psychiatric symptoms but also mental disorders and personality disorders in caregivers of patients with BD. Methods: This is a narrative review. Articles were searched in some online databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsychINFO, Lilacs, and SciELO up to June 2024. Inclusion criteria comprised articles in any language, focusing on primary caregivers of patients with BD, and quantitative studies evaluating the presence of mental disorder, personality disorder, or psychiatric symptoms in this caregiver group. Results: The review encompassed 15 articles. Only two studies utilized appropriate diagnostic instruments for assessing mental disorder, and no article evaluated personality disorder. Prevalence of caregiver's psychiatric symptoms and mental disorder was found to be higher compared to the general population. Conclusion: The lack of studies employing diagnostic assessment tools for mental disorder in these individuals may impede timely access to treatment, affecting both the caregiver's health and the clinical course of patients with BD. This study provides an updated overview of research on caregivers of patients with BD, despite the limitation of not being a systematic review. Further studies employing diagnostic assessments on caregivers are essential to gain deeper insights into this critical topic.