Bipolar disorder – History, definitions, diagnosis, epidemiology, and burden

Bipolar disorder is a chronic and recurrent mood disorder, affecting >1% of the global population.^1,6 The disorder is heritable, and commonly presents with physical and nonphysical comorbidities.¹ In clinical settings, diagnosing BD can be difficult due to overlap of symp…

References:
1. Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 2020.
2. Rodríguez MR, Nuevo R, Chatterji S, Ayuso-Mateos JL. Definitions and factors associated with subthreshold depressive conditions: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 2012; 12: 1…

One of the earliest uses of the term ‘spectrum’ in psychiatry was in 1968 for the schizophrenia spectrum.³ However, the mood spectrum comprises a range of functional psychoses, including schizophrenia and schizoaffective and affective disorders.³ Due to its dimensional na…

The two extreme moods of melancholia and mania have been documented as early as the time of Hippocrates.¹ In 900, Ishaq Ibn Imran wrote the monograph on melancholia, which today, is the oldest surviving manuscript dedicated to this topic.² Up until the 19th century, melan…

Estimates from the WHO World Mental Health survey found that rates of comorbid disorders were significantly greater among those with bipolar I disorder (88.2%) and bipolar II disorder (83.1%), than among those with subthreshold bipolar disorder (69.1%).¹

Reference:
1. Mer…

Bipolar disorder is associated with a high mortality rate, driven by the risk of cardiovascular disease and suicide.² As 50% of patients initially present with a depressive episode, bipolar depression accounts for the majority of time spent unwell with the disorder, even …

In a qualitative study, patients highlighted several aspects of the BD diagnostic process as challenging, including inadequate referral, late or incorrect diagnosis, healthcare professionals failing to recognize early warning signs, and lack of awareness within society.⁵ …

Many patients with bipolar disorder view their illness as inherent traits of their identity, including confidence, empathy, self-awareness, social ease, productivity, and creativity.⁵ For patients that feel there are positive qualities to their bipolar disorder, the effec…