Disability associated with mood states and comparator conditions: application of the Life Skills Profile measure of disability.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the comparative level of disability experienced by those with mania and depression by contrasting against levels of disability experienced by those with schizophrenia, anxiety disorder and drug and alcohol dependence.
METHODS: Disability data, measured by use of an abbreviated version of the Life Skills Profile, were collected from an Australian national survey assessing more than 20,000 episodes of care, involving in-patients and out-patients.
RESULTS: Those with a diagnosis of mania rated as having higher levels of disability than those with depression and somewhat lower levels of disability than those with schizophrenia in the 3 months prior to assessment. DISCUSSION: Such data from a large national survey underline the increasingly recognized reality that those experiencing manic episodes have high levels of associated disability, and that management interventions are required that address the impact of impaired functioning as well as acute episodes.