Stress and Support for Parents of Youth with Bipolar Disorder

Background: This article reviews stress related to parenting a youth with bipolar disorder (BD), maladaptive coping, immunologic and physical functioning related to chronic stress; presents preliminary findings about the association between immune parameters and health conditions, mental health indices and interpersonal functioning in parents of children with mood disorders; and provides recommendations for stress management based on clinical trials of family-based psychoeducational psychotherapy (PEP). Data: Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), C-reactive protein (CRP), Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), nutritional markers and measures of physical health, mental health and interpersonal functioning were collected from 26 parents of mood disordered children. Higher CRP was associated with more perceived stress, more depression, increased incidence of illness/physical conditions, and lower albumin levels. Elevated IL-6 was associated with higher nicotine use. Limitations: Sample size and demographics were restricted, limiting generalizability. Conclusion: Pilot data are consistent with literature from adult caregivers, and suggest caregivers who are more stressed also evidence some signs of immune abnormality. Evidence-based strategies to support parents are discussed.