Adolescent children whose parents have bipolar disorder have a higher risk of teenage pregnancy, according to a study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.Why It’s Relevant
Bipolar disorder is associated with risky sexual behaviors such as unprotected intercourse or sex with unfamiliar individuals that can raise the risk of unplanned pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection. Parental bipolar disorder has been shown to increase certain risks in their children, such as exposure to opioids, but little is known about whether these risks extend to sexual behavior.
By the Numbers
- Researchers analyzed data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, matching 6,195 individuals (mean age 21) whose parents had bipolar disorder to 61,950 individuals whose parents did not have bipolar disorder.
- After adjusting for demographics and psychiatric comorbidities, the researchers found that the risk of teenage pregnancy was 33% higher for children of parents with bipolar disorder than for those whose parents did not have bipolar disorder.
- The risk of teenage pregnancy among children of parents with bipolar disorder remained elevated even after excluding all individuals with a psychiatric disorder from the analysis.
- Children of parents who had bipolar disorder also had an 11% higher risk of sexually transmitted infection, although the difference in risk was not statistically significant.
The Other Side
The study was observational, so residual variables not included when matching cohorts may have led to either overestimation or underestimation of risk. In addition, the researchers excluded parents with unipolar depressive disorder, which shares genetic vulnerability and familial environmental features with bipolar disorder.
Takeaway Message
These results suggest that clinicians should be aware of the potential for risky sexual behavior in youth whose parents have bipolar disorder, according to the researchers. Further studies are needed to clarify this intergenerational association, such as comparing the role of genetics versus psychological stress. “Such insights are also essential for developing targeted preventive interventions and informing sexual health education programs tailored to at-risk youth,” the researchers wrote.
Related Information
Source
Dian-Jeng Li, et al. Risk of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection among the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder: a cohort study of 68,145 adolescents. Journal of Psychiatric Research. Published October 24, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.10.020
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