Obsessional Personality Traits and Risk for Bipolar Affective Disorder. An Offspring Study

The potential utility of obsessionality as a differential risk index among relatives of bipolar patients was explored by examining the relation between obsessional traits and cyclothymia, a precursor form of bipolar illness, in the adolescent offspring of parents with bipolar affective disorder. Forty-one offspring completed two measures of obsessional personality traits, the Cattell superego strength scale and the Leyton Obsessional Inventory trait scale. Offspring were also administered the General Behavior Inventory, a case identification inventory for cyclothymia, and a structured diagnostic interview. Cyclothymic offspring obtained significantly higher scores than did noncyclothymes on the Cattell superego strength scale. Moreover, obsessionality was significantly correlated with affective symptom ratings, but was not related to nonaffective behavior disturbances. Although a long-term follow-up is necessary to confirm these findings, these data suggest that obsessional traits may be associated with risk for bipolar disorder in the offspring of bipolar probands.