Abel et al noted that the prevalence of suicide ideation among Jamaican youth was 9.7% (14) and Williams-Johnson et al reported that in the Emergency Room at the University Hospital of the West Indies, attempted suicide by self-poisoning was seen more in females and the age group 16–30 years represented the largest number of cases (15). Inoue et al investigated the relationship between suicide and some climatic conditions and reported that annual age-adjusted suicide rates were significantly correlated with annual mean relative humidity (for 2007 to 2010). 

EN Barton, Mental health, Editor-in-Chief, West Indian Medical Journal and Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica, http://caribbean.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0043-31442012000500001

The annual years of healthy life lost per 100,000 people from bipolar disorder in Caribbean has increased by 8.0% since 1990, an average of 0.3% a year.

For men, the health burden of bipolar disorder in Caribbean, as measured in years of healthy life lost per 100,000 men, peaks at age 25-29. It harms men at the lowest rate at age 10-14.

Women are harmed at the highest rate from bipolar disorder in Caribbean at age 25-29. It was least harmful to women at age 10-14. At 309.5 years of healthy life lost per 100,000 women in 2013, the peak rate for women was higher than that of men, which was 257 per 100,000 men.

Bipolar disorder has a fairly early age of onset, with the first episode usually occurring before the age of 30. In the review of epidemiological surveys mentioned previously, the mean age at onset reported by each of the six studies ranged from 17.1–29 years, with a peak in onset rate occurring between the ages of 15 and 19 years (Weissman et al., 1996).

While most episodes of bipolar disorder first present by 30 years of age, it can present later in life. Late onset bipolar disorder is characterised by a reduced family history of psychiatric disorder, greater medical comorbidities and a greater incidence of subsequent neurological problems. Late onset bipolar disorder may also show a greater latency between the initial depressive episode and subsequent manic episode.

AGE

Bipolar I disorder occurs approximately equally in both sexes (Lloyd et al., 2005). The symptom profile may differ between men and women; there is some evidence that women tend to experience more episodes of mixed or dysphoric mania than men (Arnold et al., 2000).

Recent data from a large sample of patients with bipolar disorder found a significantly higher incidence of bipolar II disorder in women (29.0%) than men (15.3%) (Baldassano et al., 2005). In a general population survey using DSM-III-R criteria (which require a minimum of 4 days of hypomanic symptoms for a hypomanic episode) there was no reported gender difference in the prevalence of bipolar II disorder (Szadoczky et al., 1998). However, a population study using broader criteria for bipolar II disorder not requiring this minimum duration found a 1-year prevalence rate for hypomania of 7.4% in females and only 2.7% in males. 

For some women, the experience of psychosis in the postnatal period may be the first indicator of bipolar illness. In one study of a well-characterised sample of mothers with bipolar affective puerperal psychosis, almost two thirds went on to experience a non-puerperal mood episode (Robertson et al., 2005). The risk of puerperal psychosis in future pregnancies was also significant with 57% of those who had further children experiencing another episode postnatally. Likewise, for those with an established illness, childbirth brings an increased risk of puerperal psychosis (Chaudron & Pies, 2003) and represents a substantial clinical challenge.

Ethnicity

Kennedy and colleagues (2004) in an epidemiological study of first presentations of bipolar disorder in the UK which compared African and Afro-Caribbean groups with white Europeans suggested that the former were more likely to present with a first episode of mania (13.5% versus 6%). The African and Afro-Caribbean groups were also more likely to present with severe psychotic symptoms when first presenting with mania. A study in the United States looking at the experience of African Americans with bipolar disorder (Kupfer et al., 2005) reported that Afro-Caribbeans were more likely to be hospitalised than Caucasians (9.8% versus 4.4%) and have a higher rate of attempted suicide (64% versus 49%). Another American study, from the Veterans’ Health Administration System (Kilbourne et al., 2005) looked at the clinical presentations of people from minority ethnic groups with bipolar disorder. Again, this confirmed a picture of increased number of psychotic episodes (37% versus 30%) along with increased use of cocaine or alcohol misuse. They also reported that people from black and minority ethnic groups were more likely to be formally admitted to hospital.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK55388/

80+                         Female               119.5   per 100,000 people

                               Male                        98.0   per 100,000  people

 

75-79                     Female               164.6   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      131.9   per 100,000 people

70-74                     Female               174.2   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      139.1    per 100,000  people

 

65-69                     Female               184.7   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      146.3   per 100,000  people

 

60-64                     Female               196.8   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      154.5   per 100,000  people

 

55-59                     Female               210.7   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      175.3   per 100,000  people

 

50-54                     Female               223.7   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      175.3   per 100,000  people

 

45-49                     Female               239.3   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      187.8   per 100,000  people

 

40-44                     Female               260.6   per 100,000 people

Male                      206.5   per 100,000  people

 

 

35-39                     Female               286.1   per 100,000 people

Male                      229.7   per 100,000  people

 

30-34                     Female               306.9   per 100,000 people

Male                      249.8   per 100,000  people

 

25-29                     Female               309.5   per 100,000 people

Male                      257.0   per 100,000  people

 

20-24                     Female               250.8   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      211.6   per 100,000  people

 

15-19                     Female               130.3   per 100,000 people

                                Male                      110.3   per 100,000  people

 

10-14                     Female              28.2   per 100,000 people

                               Male                      24.0   per 100,000  people

For men, the health burden of bipolar disorder in Caribbean, as measured in years of healthy life lost per 100,000 men, peaks at age 25-29. It harms men at the lowest rate at age 10-14.

Women are harmed at the highest rate from bipolar disorder in Caribbean at age 25-29. It was least harmful to women at age 10-14. At 309.5 years of healthy life lost per 100,000 women in 2013, the peak rate for women was higher than that of men, which was 257 per 100,000 men.

 

Filters:

 

  Location                                  DAILY RATE                 CHANGE
                                                   (per 100,000)             1990 – 2013

Central Latin America                     172.9                          15%

Tropical Latin America                   161.0                            15%  

Caribbean                                            159.1                           8% 

 

Andean Latin America                   151.7                           14%