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Bipolar Disorder More Common Than Previously Believed
HealthScout - January 22, 2003

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthScoutNews) -- Three times as many Americans may suffer from bipolar disorder than previously believed, says a nationwide study that appears in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

The study of more than 85,000 Americans shows that nearly 4 percent, 2.3 million Americans, may be affected by bipolar disorder. Previous studies suggest that rate may be 1 percent.

The study findings also indicate that as many as 80 percent of those who screened positive for bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, hadn't been diagnosed with the illness, and nearly one-third had been misdiagnosed with major depression.

The results emphasize the need for early detection and accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

The study data indicate that bipolar disorder may be most common among young adults, ages 18-24, and people with lower incomes.

The study also found that 19 percent of people who screened positive for bipolar disorder reported significant alcohol or drug abuse. And people who screened positive for the disorder had significantly higher rates of other health problems such as allergies, asthma and migraine.

For this study, researchers mailed the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) to 127,800 American adults and received 85,358 returned questionnaires. The MDQ is a validated screening tool for bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong, potentially fatal illness. It's often characterized by distressing and disruptive mood swings from high (manic) to low (depressed) states. Suicide is the most serious risk of bipolar disorder.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about bipolar disorder.

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Last updated: 02/20/2003 - 08:22 PM