Lack of insight in bipolar disorder. The acute manic episode.

This study examined the clinical correlates of lack of insight in bipolar disorder. In 28 acutely manic patients interviewed upon hospitalization and/or discharge, mean scores on the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire (ITAQ) improved only slightly, from 12.0 on admission to 15.5 on discharge (p = .08), despite marked improvement in other psychiatric symptoms. A reciprocal relationship was found between higher ITAQ scores and involuntary hospitalization (r = -.38). Like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder appears to be a condition in which poor insight is a prominent characteristic.