New Data Suggest Bipolar Disorder May Affect Three Times More Americans Than Believed
Nationwide Study Presented at APA Shows 4 out of 5 Go Undiagnosed, Many More Misdiagnosed

Philadelphia - Results of a new nationwide study show that three times as many people may suffer from bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) than previously estimated. Survey results from more than 85,000 Americans found that approximately one third of those screening positive for bipolar disorder had been misdiagnosed as having unipolar depression. The data were presented today at the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) annual scientific meeting.

"These ground-breaking results may provide important new information about the prevalence of bipolar disorder in the U.S.," said Robert Hirschfeld, M.D., Titus Harris Chair, professor and chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch. "We’ve suspected for some time that this illness is widely under-recognized and misdiagnosed. These results demonstrate the magnitude of the problem."

Data from the study show that bipolar disorder may be most prevalent among young adults (ages 18-24), those with lower incomes and those living in rural areas or small cities. In this study, 4 out of 5 people (80 percent) who screened positive for bipolar disorder had not been diagnosed with the illness, and nearly one-third of people who screened positive for bipolar disorder had been misdiagnosed with unipolar depression.

The study also demonstrated the profound impact that bipolar disorder has on the lives of patients and their families, both socially and physically. More than half of the respondents screening positive for bipolar disorder experienced disruptive symptoms that put them at greater risk for being fired or laid off as compared with those who screened negative for the illness (54 percent vs. 37 percent). People screening positive for bipolar disorder also reported significant alcohol/drug abuse (19 percent), anxiety (34 percent) and panic attacks (19 percent). Moreover, health conditions such as allergies, migraine, asthma, and obesity were significantly higher in people who screened positive for the disorder.

"Bipolar disorder is a life-long illness that far too often adversely impacts the people living with it and their loved ones," said Lydia Lewis, executive director, National DMDA. "It is associated significantly higher rates of alcoholism and substance abuse, divorce, financial problems and sadly, even suicide than the general public. Early and accurate diagnosis is critical to enable people with bipolar disorder to get the treatment they need to ensure a better quality-of-life."

This national study was designed to assess the prevalence and impact of bipolar disorder in the United States. The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) – a validated screening tool for bipolar disorder – was mailed to 127,800 U.S. adults with a 67 percent (85,358 returns) rate of response. The survey was distributed to a representative sample of adults, balanced to match the 2000 U.S. Census data for age, gender, region, market size, and household income. A positive MDQ screen was defined as seven or more symptoms, co-occurrence of two or more symptoms, and moderate or severe impairment. The impact of bipolar disorder was analyzed among 3,059 individuals who participated in the larger prevalence study, using the Social Adjustment Scales-SR, Sheehan Disability Scale and Family History Screen.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a life-long, potentially fatal illness often characterized by distressing and disruptive mood swings from high (manic) to low (depressed) states. If manic and depressive symptoms overlap for a period of time, this state is called a "mixed" episode. There are two types of bipolar disorder. With bipolar I disorder, a person must have experienced at least one episode of mania; in bipolar II disorder, a person experiences hypomania (a milder form of mania with less severe symptoms) and depression, but no mania.

Although there is no cure for bipolar disorder, the revised APA guidelines stress that treatment can significantly decrease the symptoms and mortality rate associated with the illness. The most serious risk of bipolar disorder is suicide, which is associated with the depressive and mixed episodes. Treatment can help to prevent this deadly consequence.

Additionally, researchers estimate that more than 50 percent of individuals with bipolar disorder abuse alcohol or drugs during their illness. When left untreated, bipolar disorder can worsen and patients can experience a greater frequency of events.

National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, incorporated in 1986 and based in Chicago, has a grassroots network of more than 800 chapters and support groups across the United States and Canada. It is guided by a 65-member Scientific Advisory Board composed of the leading researchers and clinicians in the field of depressive illnesses. The phone number is (800) 826-3632, the website address is www.ndmda.org.

This study was funded by GlaxoSmithKline.