Patient-based utilities for bipolar disorder-related health states.

Background: Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disorder which impacts patient functioning and well-being. With increasing interest in cost-effectiveness of treatments, it is necessary to provide estimates of patient's perspectives on treatment outcomes. This study estimated health state utilities for hypothetical bipolar-related health states and patient's current health from bipolar I patients.

Methods: Clinicians completed Young Mania Rating Scale, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and Global Assessment Score. Patients completed structured standard gamble (SG) utility assessment interviews, and the other patient-based measures. Interviews obtained utilities for hypothetical bipolar-related health states describing symptom severity, functioning and well-being, and treatment-related side effects.

Results: Ninety-six patients were recruited from psychiatry outpatient practices. Mean utilities for inpatient states ranged from 0.12 to 0.33; outpatient mania states ranged from 0.29 to 0.64; outpatient stable states ranged from 0.53 to 0.85. Mean utility for current health was 0.80 (S.D.=0.22). Patients preferred monotherapy compared with combination therapy health states. Ordinary least squares regression indicated weight gain was associated with a 0.066 decrease in health state utilities (P=0.013).

Limitations: Study sample consisted of selected stable and educated patients and small sample sizes may limit generalizability for some utilities.

Conclusions: Bipolar disorder patients are capable of participating in utility assessment and providing ratings for hypothetical health states associated with different mood stabilizer treatments.