The American researchers used structured clinical interviews to evaluate the prevalence of lifetime alcoholism in 267 outpatients enrolled in a university program for bipolar disorder. Both patient-rated and clinician-administered questionnaires were used to identify relationships between alcoholism with the disorder.

The researchers found that the prevalence rates of alcoholism in bipolar men (49 percent) and women (29 percent) involved in the study mirrored those of the general population. However, epidemiological patterns indicated that bipolar women had more than 7 times the risk of alcoholism compared with other women, while the risk for bipolar men was somewhat less than 3 times that of other men.

There were other gender differences, as well. Men with bipolar disorder and alcoholism had a deeper family history of bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and drug abuse than other men with bipolar disorder. In contrast, alcoholism in women with bipolar disorder was associated less with family background and more with episodes of depression and social anxieties.

"Our findings show that while the prevalence of alcoholism is higher in bipolar men, the risk for developing alcoholism is far greater in women. There's something about 'Jane Bipolar' that puts her at higher risk for alcoholism. That point has not been fully appreciated until now," said Mark Frye, MD.

Other studies have noted serious consequences of alcohol abuse in women. The National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiology Survey found that women had a higher rate of binge drinking and acute intoxication than men and were less likely to receive treatment for alcoholism.

"We know that many bipolar patients try to self-medicate their depressive symptoms with alcohol, drinking to numb themselves, or help them with sleep. But we have limited controlled studies to guide patients and physicians on how to help these people get better," said Frye.

"We need to address this toxic combination of elevated risk and serious consequences by pinpointing clinical relationships between bipolar disorder and alcoholism in women that will allow researchers to develop more effective treatment and prevention programs," he concluded.