| Abstract | Background: Modifiable lifestyle behaviors are important factors for improving mental health, yet there
has been a lack of research studying lifestyle as a multidimensional construct in bipolar disorder (BD).
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the lifestyle patterns of individuals with BD in a
current mood episode with healthy controls (HCs) using the Short Multidimensional Inventory Lifestyle
Evaluation (SMILE).
Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 46 individuals with BD currently experiencing a depressive or manic episode and 50 HC, assessed using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview,
Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). The
SMILE scale assesses lifestyle across seven domains: diet and nutrition, substance abuse, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, social support, and environmental exposures. Between-groups
comparisons were performed based on the presence of a psychiatric diagnosis and the type of BD episode.
Results: We found significant differences in the total SMILE score (r = 0.75, p < 0.001) and in scores from
each domain of the scale between BD and HC (p < 0.05), where individuals with BD in a depressive or manic
episode with or without mixed features reported worse lifestyle across all domains. Differences between
individuals with BD in different mood episodes across domains on the SMILE scale were non-significant.
Conclusion: Findings from this study highlight the presence of unhealthy lifestyle patterns in people
with BD regardless of the polarity of their mood episode. Implementation of multidimensional lifestyle
assessments is an essential step toward detecting the clustering of unhealthy lifestyle patterns in BD. | en_US |
