ABSTRACT
Recent studies both in the United States and in Europe have resulted in an increased interest in making earlier and more accurate diagnoses of bipolar disorders. The findings from these studies can also be utilized to change clinical practices and thereby improve patient outcomes. The three fundamental findings from these studies are (i) bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as major depression; (ii) both bipolar I and, particularly, bipolar II disorder are characterized by much more time spent with depressive than manic symptomatology, and (iii) the prevalence of bipolar disorders is at least in the 3-4% range, approximating that of major depression (1-5). We shall examine ways to improve on accuracy and timeliness of making a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
