Influence of Life Events on First and Recurrent Episodes of Bipolar Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Stressful life events (SLEs) are significant personal or social changes that may influence mental health and are known to play a role in the onset and recurrence of bipolar disorder.This study aimed to assess the prevalence and types of pre-onset stressful life events among patients with bipolar disorder.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 18 months at a tertiary care hospital and included 94 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder as per ICD-10 DCR criteria.Socio-demographic and clinical details were collected using a semistructured proforma.Stressful life events were assessed using the Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLES).At the same time, symptom severity was evaluated using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS).Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23.0, and associations were tested using the chisquare test.Results: Pre-onset stressful life events were identified in 66.0% (n=62) of the patients, while 34.0%(n=32) reported no such events.The association between bipolar disorder episodes and the presence of stressful life events was statistically significant (χ² = 9.57, p = 0.002).The most frequently reported stressors were family conflicts (17.7%), broken engagement or love affairs (11.3%), and death of a close family member (9.7%).Conclusion: Stressful life events are commonly observed before the onset of first and recurrent episodes of bipolar disorder.Careful assessment and timely psychosocial interventions targeting these stressors may play a crucial role in improving clinical outcomes and preventing future relapses.