Bipolar disorder
92 Citations•2012•
I. Anderson, P. Haddad, Jan Scott
BMJ : British Medical Journal
Current best practice in the diagnosis and management of bipolar disorder is summarised, signposting areas of uncertainty.
Abstract
Bipolar (affective) disorder, originally called manic depressive illness, is one of the most challenging psychiatric disorders to manage. Although it has been associated with creativity, it has a negative impact on the lives of most patients and more than 6% die through suicide in the two decades after diagnosis. Organisational change means that specialist services mostly treat acute episodes, leaving primary care with long term management. This review summarises current best practice in the diagnosis and management of bipolar disorder, signposting areas of uncertainty. What is bipolar disorder?