Volume 150, Issue 6 pp. 543-561
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

The impact of sex in the effectiveness of functional remediation in bipolar disorder

Maria Serra-Navarro

Maria Serra-Navarro

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

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Derek Clougher

Derek Clougher

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Alava University Hospital, BIOARABA, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain

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Brisa Solé

Brisa Solé

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

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Jose Sánchez-Moreno

Jose Sánchez-Moreno

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

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Ana González-Pinto

Ana González-Pinto

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Alava University Hospital, BIOARABA, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain

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Esther Jiménez

Esther Jiménez

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Alava University Hospital, BIOARABA, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain

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Benedikt L. Amann

Benedikt L. Amann

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Institute of Mental Health, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain

Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain

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Vicent Balanzá-Martínez

Vicent Balanzá-Martínez

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Teaching Unit of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain

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Rafael Tabarés-Seisdedos

Rafael Tabarés-Seisdedos

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Teaching Unit of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain

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Celso Arango

Celso Arango

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, IiSGM, School of Medicine, Madrid, Spain

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Vivian Accardo

Vivian Accardo

Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy

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María Paz García-Portilla

María Paz García-Portilla

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias, INEUROPA, Servicio de Salud del Principado de Asturias (SESPA), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

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Ángela Ibáñez

Ángela Ibáñez

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain

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José Manuel Crespo

José Manuel Crespo

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), University Hospital of Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain

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José Luis Ayuso-Mateos

José Luis Ayuso-Mateos

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Department of Psychiatry, IIS-IP, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

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Silvia Amoretti

Corresponding Author

Silvia Amoretti

Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence

Silvia Amoretti, Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.

Email: [email protected]

Carla Torrent, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology. Clinical Institute of Neuroscience. Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170. 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Email: [email protected]

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Carla Torrent

Corresponding Author

Carla Torrent

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

Correspondence

Silvia Amoretti, Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.

Email: [email protected]

Carla Torrent, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology. Clinical Institute of Neuroscience. Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Villarroel, 170. 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Email: [email protected]

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Anabel Martínez-Aran

Anabel Martínez-Aran

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

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Eduard Vieta

Eduard Vieta

Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Fundació Clínic per la Recerca Biomèdica-Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (FCRB-IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain

Department de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

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CIBERSAM Functional Remediation Group

CIBERSAM Functional Remediation Group

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First published: 07 September 2024

Anabel Martínez-Aran and Eduard Vieta should be considered joint last author.

Abstract

Background

Functional recovery remains a core clinical objective for patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Sociodemographic, clinical, and neurocognitive variables are associated with long-term functional impairment, yet the impact of sex differences is unclear. Functional remediation (FR) is a validated intervention aimed at achieving functional recovery in BD. The present study assessed the effect of sex differences of FR on psychosocial functioning at post-treatment (6-months) and 12-month follow-up (FUP). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the role of sex as a factor in the efficacy of FR.

Methods

157 participants with BD were randomly assigned to either FR (N = 77) or treatment as usual group (80). Clinical, sociodemographic, neuropsychological, and functional data were obtained using a comprehensive assessment battery. Sex differences were explored via a general linear model (GLM) for repeated measures to compare the effect of sex on the intervention over time (6 months and FUP).

Results

Results demonstrated that FR benefits both sexes, males (p = 0.001; d’ = 0.88) and females (p = 0.04; d’ = 0.57), at 6 months suggesting a generalized functional improvement. Conversely, at 12-month FUP sex differences were observed only in males (p = 0.005; d’ = 0.68).

Conclusions

FR is a beneficial intervention for males and females after treatment, suggesting that there are no relevant distinct needs. Females may benefit from ongoing psychosocial functioning booster sessions after the intervention to maintain original improvements. Future research exploring sex differences could help to identify strategies to offer personalized FR intervention approaches in individuals with BD.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

EV has received grants and served as a consultant, advisor, or CME speaker for the following entities: AB-Biotics, AbbVie, Angelini, Biogen, Biohaven, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Celon Pharma, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Ferrer, Gedeon Richter, GH Research, Glaxo-Smith Kline, Idorsia, Janssen, Lundbeck, Novartis, Orion Corporation, Organon, Otsuka, Sage, Sanofi-Aventis, Sunovion, Takeda, and Viatris, outside the submitted work. AI has received research support from or served as speaker or advisor for Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, Otsuka Pharmaceutical SA, Alter and Rovi, outside the submitted work. CA has been a consultant to or has received honoraria or grants from Abbot, Acadia, Angelini, Biogen, Boehringer, Gedeon Richter, Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck, Medscape, Menarini, Minerva, Otsuka, Pfizer, Roche, Sage, Servier, Shire, Schering Plough, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Sunovion, Takeda and Teva. VBM has received honoraria from Angelini during the last 3 years, unrelated to the present work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

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