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Bipolar disorder and leadership – a total population study
Author(s) -
Kyaga S.,
Lichtenstein P.,
Boman M.,
Landén M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/acps.12304
Subject(s) - bipolar disorder , psychology , psychiatry , population , medicine , environmental health , cognition
Objective To investigate whether persons with bipolar disorder and their siblings have leadership traits and are overrepresented in executive professions. Method A nested case‐control study based on longitudinal S wedish total population registries. Data from officer suitability interviews ( n = 1 126 519), and information on occupations were collected. Bipolar patients ( n = 68 915) and their healthy siblings were compared with controls. Results Bipolar patients without comorbidity ( pure ; n = 22 980) were overrepresented in both the highest and lowest strata of officer suitability; their healthy siblings in the highest strata only. Patients with pure bipolar disorder were underrepresented in executive professions, whereas their siblings were overrepresented in these professions (particularly political professions). Patients with general bipolar disorder (including those with comorbidities) and their healthy siblings were overrepresented only in the lowest strata of officer suitability ratings. General bipolar patients were underrepresented in executive professions, whereas their siblings had similar rates of executive professions as controls. Adjusting results for IQ slightly attenuated point estimates, but resulted in pure bipolar patients and their siblings no longer being significantly overrepresented in superior strata of officer suitability, and siblings no longer being overrepresented in executive professions. Conclusion Results support that traits associated with bipolar disorder are linked to superior leadership qualities.