Prevalence and Impact of Manic Traits in Depressed Patients Initiating Interferon Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

To evaluate the impact of manic traits on adverse events in depressed hepatitis C patients initiating interferon therapy. Interferon α therapy for hepatitis C can exacerbate preexisting depression. Bipolar disorder frequently presents as depressive symptoms that are indistinguishable from or misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder. The impact of bipolar disorder on adverse psychiatric events during therapy is unknown. A retrospective study was performed on consecutive patients initiating interferon therapy in the Hepatology clinic at a tertiary-care center between December 2004 and October 2007. All patients completed the Physicians Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a validated survey for major depressive disorder. Patients with a positive PHQ screen completed the Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ), a validated screening tool for manic traits. Patients with a negative PHQ served as controls. All adverse psychiatric events were documented through retrospective record review for 6 months after interferon initiation.