Bipolar disorder

This page is reference information compiled from the cited sources. It is not medical advice. For any decision about health, diagnosis or care, consult a qualified professional.

What it is

Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and abnormally elevated mood, lasting days to weeks, and in some cases months. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with psychosis, it is called mania; if it does not significantly affect functioning, it is called hypomania. The condition is classified as bipolar I disorder if there has been at least one manic episode, with or without depressive episodes, and as bipolar II disorder if there has been at least one hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode. It is classified as cyclothymia if there are hypomanic episodes with periods of depression that do not meet the criteria for major depressive episodes. Bipolar symptoms usually begin in adolescence or early adulthood, and the condition is characterized by intermittent episodes of mania, commonly alternating with bouts of depression, with an absence of symptoms in between.

Key facts

People with BD are at 11.7 times greater risk of dying by suicide than the general population, and approximately 34% attempt suicide during their lifetime. Among adolescents with BD, 78% engaged in self-harm. The 6-12 month prevalence of bipolar disorder is 1%, while the lifetime prevalence is between 1 and 3%, and the prevalence of pediatric bipolar disorder is 3.9%. The most frequent ages of onset are 24 or 46, and an earlier onset is associated with worse depression and more frequent co-diagnosis of anxiety and substance use. Risk for BD is thought to be influenced by genetics, environment, and ADHD, with genetic factors possibly accounting for up to 70–90% of the risk of developing BD. Environmental risks include a history of child abuse, long-term stress, childhood maltreatment, early emotional trauma, and traumatic bonding. During mania, an individual behaves or feels abnormally energetic, happy, or irritable, often makes impulsive and reckless decisions, and there is usually sleep disturbance. During periods of depression, the individual may experience crying, have a negative outlook, and demonstrate poor eye contact. Of people with bipolar I disorder, 58–68% have experienced psychosis, though co-diagnosis of schizophrenia is low at 8%. Around 40-60% of people with BD are employed, and over 80% may take time off work for psychiatric reasons in a five year period. On average, life expectancy is 12.9 years shorter for people with BD.

When to seek professional help

The source text associates professional care with situations involving acute manic or depressive episodes, particularly with psychosis or catatonia. Past guidelines have recommended admission to a psychiatric hospital if someone is a risk to themselves or others. The source notes that in severe manic episodes, a person can experience psychotic symptoms, and this occasionally results in hospitalization in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Authors of a chapter for a clinical textbook posit that mania is a medical emergency. The source also states that the onset of a manic or depressive episode is often foreshadowed by sleep disturbance. Furthermore, the source indicates that among people with BD, there is a significantly elevated risk of suicide and self-harm, which are situations associated with professional care.

Source: Bipolar disorder (CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)), retrieved 2026-08-27.