Marital Satisfaction among Remitted Bipolar Type 1 Disorder Patients: A Cross-sectional Descriptive Study in a Tertiary Care Center in India

Background: There remains a notable gap in the literature concerning the exploration of marital satisfaction among bipolar disorder patients, exclusively during the remission phase. Aim: This study aims to estimate the proportion of marital satisfaction among married adults with bipolar Type 1 disorder in remission and to explore the relationship between marital satisfaction and various sociodemographic and clinical factors. Methodology: The study was designed as a cross-sectional descriptive study, involving 60 married adult patients diagnosed with bipolar type 1 disorder in remission who were attending the outpatient clinic. Residual symptoms were assessed utilizing the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Marital satisfaction was evaluated through the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Data analysis was carried out using licensed versions of SPSS v25. Results: The proportion of marital satisfaction among participants was 58.3%. There were statistically significant differences observed among the relationally satisfied and distressed groups in terms of the distribution of number of children, socioeconomic status, presence of symptoms between episodes, and the total YMRS score. For other variables, no statistically significant differences were observed. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a significant proportion of individuals with bipolar type 1 disorder report marital satisfaction during interepisodic remission periods. This positive observation highlights the importance of involving spouses in therapeutic interventions during these phases. Furthermore, comprehensive management of residual symptoms may play a critical role in enhancing relationship satisfaction.